A/N: Okay, I don't own Miracle and the only characters I own are Ellie, Heidi, Kathie, Natalie, Jennie, and Mr. and Mrs. McClanahan. I really appreciate all the reviews I got. Clicking the little purple button really makes my day.

Emador: I wasn't going to commit suicide; the story was. I'm glad you love the story.

Maye: I'm Italian, Irish, and Catholic, so I really don't like Mrs. McClanahan, but that's the way a lot of people from her generation are. Like until the late 1950s, most country clubs (and places like that) banned Irish people from membership.

Katie: I'm glad you like it. I'll keep it up.

Darkdestiny2000: I'm so glad you like it. That was a fun bit to write.

Beautyqueen321: I want things to move slowly even though most stories I write have the people move quickly. This time, these characters need to ease into this relationship.

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: yes, ma'am!

Meadow567: Yeah, that sounds weird, but it's okay. I've never seen White Oleander but I'll take your word for it. I'm actually thinking about having Ellie adopt Heidi. I'm glad you don't think Ellie's a Mary Sue. At first I thought she was going to be, but it kind of seems like I can avoid that route.

Klinoa: The whole idea of this story was my little sister's idea. I was going to write a story about OC and Mac's sister, but I was stuck as far as a plot. My younger sister was watching the movie and she saw the Christmas scene where OC gets a cigar… So, a huge thanks goes out to my amazing sister, Charlotte.

OC's POV

The Tuesday after my babysitting adventure, Mac walked into the locker room and said, "My mother is absolutely nuts. This time she has lost it for real. I simply cannot believe that she would do this."

"What did Madame Psychosis do now?" Jannie asked.

"You know how she didn't want me to be on the team? Well, now she wants to have the entire team over for dinner so she can get to know all of you."

"You did tell her that Rizzo's Italian and that OC and Jimmy are Irish?" Buzzy asked.

"What's wrong with that?" Rizzo asked. "Aren't I allowed to be Italian?"

"My mom hates the Italians and the Irish," Mac said softly. "She hates everyone who isn't like her. She's pigheaded."

"Hey, Mac," I said. "Just remember, I don't hold it against you or Ellie. I know you're both decent people who don't think like that."

"Of course they don't," Buzzy said. "They were raised by their Italian cook and the Irish governess. Between Maria and Fiona, they have no reason to hate Rizzo, Jimmy, or OC; they do, however, have a reason to hate their own mother."

"What?" Dave Christian asked. "Why would they hate their own mother?"

"Have you ever met Mrs. McClanahan?" Jannie asked. "That woman drinks, smokes, plays cards, and plans parties. Raising five children wasn't in her plan for her life, so she's spent the past twenty-two years shoving her children off on governesses."

"Just wait till you meet her," Mac said. "You won't understand her until you meet her." He sighed, and then he continued. "You guys are all invited for dinner at my parents' house on Saturday at seven."

"Will Ellie and Heidi be there?" I asked, trying to hide my eagerness.

Mac smiled at me. "Yes."

I tried to hide it, but I couldn't. I just had to smile.

Ellie's POV

Saturday night, I drove Heidi, Rob, Rizzo, and OC to my parents' house. Rob sat up front with me and OC and Rizzo sat with Heidi in the backseat. As I pulled into the driveway, Robbie looked at me. "Ellie, ignore her. No matter what she says about you, don't listen to her. You're smart, you're beautiful, and you're worth ten of her. You can dance, you can skate, you can play piano, and your math and science skills blow me away. Ellie, you're so much more than she'll ever let on. You're a princess no matter what she says. Don't listen to her."

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Robbie."

"You're welcome. And just remember, princess, I mean every word of it."

I turned off the car. "All right, let's go in there."

I think Rizzo and OC almost died of shock when my mother's maid, Evelyn, opened the door. I heard OC whisper, "Mac, you have a maid? Geez, your parents must be loaded."

I smiled. "Hey, Evelyn, where's Her Majesty?"

"Putting on her make-up in her room," the shy, young maid replied. "Should I tell her you're here, Miss Elizabeth?"

I shook my head. "No, is my father here?"

"He's in his office. Jennie and Natalie are in the living room, but Kathie's upstairs with Mrs. McClanahan."

"We'll go see Jennie and Natalie," I told her.

"All right," she said, scared. "As you wish, Miss Elizabeth. Master Robert, it's so nice to see you again."

Rob smiled. "Good to see you, too; Evelyn, these are my friends, Mike Eruzione and Jack O'Callahan."

She nodded to them. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Eruzione, Mr. O'Callahan. Please come in."

"Thank you," they both responded quickly.

I think being called Mister blew them away. Robbie and I led them into the living room where Jennie and Natalie were waiting. "Ellie!" Jennie screamed as I walked in. Jennie is the blonde version of me; it's a little disturbing, but quite entertaining. "You brought Heidi," she added, stroking the baby's cheek. "Hey, cutie."

"Jennie," Rob said. "I want you to meet my friends, Jack O'Callahan and Mike Eruzione. OC, Rizzo, these are my sisters, Jennie and Natalie."

Jennie smiled at both of them. "It's nice to meet you."

Just then the doorbell rang again.

Kathie McClanahan's POV

Mother looked at me. "Well, I guess Robert and Elizabeth are here with their friends. Just remember that Jim Craig and Jack O'Callahan are Irish and Mike Eruzione is Italian."

I kept brushing my hair as she talked. Mother said that Irish and Italian people are below our social level. "Mother, will they know how to behave at dinner?"

"Probably not, Kathleen darling, don't even expect them to be dressed properly unless Robert told them what to do. Now let's go downstairs."

When we walked into the living room, the entire team was there with Jennie, Natalie, Ellie, and Heidi. All the guys were wearing suits and ties. Robbie was standing with Ellie, Steve Janaszak, Buzz Schneider, and four guys I didn't know. One of them was holding Ellie; he had blue eyes and brown hair. Ellie was wearing what Jennie calls her Breakfast at Tiffany's dress and her hair was hanging loose. Mother led me over to Robert and Elizabeth. "Hello, darlings," Mother said, kissing Elizabeth's cheek. "It's lovely to see you, Steven and William. Robert, who are these gentlemen?"

"This is Dave Silk," he said, pointing to the guy standing between Buzz and the guy holding Heidi.

He smiled at us. "It's nice to meet you."

"Where are you from?" I asked him.

"Boston," he replied.

"Are you Irish?" I asked.

Ellie glared at me as Dave looked at her. "No, he isn't Irish," the guy standing between Ellie and the guy holding Heidi, said. "Silk isn't an Irish name."

"And this is Mark Johnson," Rob said, motioning to the guy who defended Dave Silk.

"I'm from Madison, Wisconsin, and no, I'm not Irish," Mark Johnson said, glaring at me.

"And this is Jack O'Callahan," Rob said, pointing to the guy holding Heidi.

Mother's eyes went wide when she saw him. He was tall with brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a nice, clean black suit with a white dress shirt and a navy blue tie. But more than that, he was nothing like what Mom always said Irish people were like. He was clean, he smelled fine, he didn't have red hair or freckles, and his clothes weren't patched. "Where'd you go to school?" Mother asked him.

"Boston University," he replied.

"I suppose they must have nice work-study packages there for janitors who can play hockey," she said sharply. I smiled; that ought to put him in his place.

"I'd imagine they do, but I didn't need one," he replied. "My parents could afford to send me there if I hadn't been able to get a scholarship. Mrs. McClanahan, my family isn't poor. I'm glad I got a scholarship because it means Ma and Dad have more money to pay for James and Annie's college."

Mother stared at him. "But you must have grown up in a small apartment in Boston?"

"No, we live in a house in Charleston, Mass. Ma, Dad, James, and Annie still live there. Now that I'm out of there, James has his own room but we never had to share a room with our parents or Annie."

Mother was shocked. He was completely destroying everything she'd ever thought about Irish people. She just stared at him until she realized she hadn't met the other guy in the group. "Robert, who is your other little friend?"

"This is Mike Eruzione," Rob said. "He's from Boston, Kath, and he went to Boston University. He went to Boston University with OC and Silky."

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. McClanahan," Mike Eruzione said with as smile. "It was very kind of you to invite us all over for dinner."

Mother looked at him. She'd always told me that Italians were snooty, self-absorbed fat people. Mike wasn't fat or self-absorbed; he was handsome and sweet. Mother gasped. "Oh, you're welcome. I hear so much about the team from Robert and Elizabeth that I just had to meet all of you. Robert, come introduce me to the rest of your friends."

Ellie's POV

I looked at Jack who smiled at me. "I think she's the only person I know who calls him Robert," I whispered. "I call him Rob or Robbie and the guys all call him Mac. He just isn't a Robert. And I absolutely abhor being called Elizabeth."

"You're Ellie to me," he replied, wrapping his free arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry about your mother. I'm not going to let her get to me. I've heard all kinds of insults to Irish people; I'm used to it. It's like Rob told you earlier; don't let her get to you. I heard him and I'm not going to let her get to me."

Silky nodded. "Relax, Ellie, OC's right. Just ignore her."

"To change the subject," Jack said. "I want to see pictures of you when you were a beauty queen."

I shook my head. "Oh no! No you don't!"

"Yes, we do. Mac says that you were a beautiful and graceful princess," Rizzo inserted.

"Please?" Silky begged. "We just want to know if you were as beautiful then as you are now."

I blushed as OC added, "That might be hard because you're absolutely gorgeous now."

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Mr. O'Callahan," I replied with a teasing smile. "If you want to see those pictures, you're going to have to try a little harder than that."

"I'll name my first-born daughter Elizabeth," he replied.

"That's sweet, but no," I told him. "Try harder."

"Please?" Rizzo begged. "We aren't any good at bargaining. We can only beg pitifully."

"We'd also like to take this opportunity to remind you that you're the most beautiful woman we know," Silky added.

Mark nodded. "We won't make fun of you," he promised.

Jack made a puppy face and I caved in. "Fine, I'll show you. Go sit on the couch and I'll bring the photo album to you."

Impetuously, Jack kissed my cheek. "You're the best."

I shook my head and went to get the photo album labeled "Elizabeth Grace McClanahan, Miss Teen Minnesota 1973." I brought it back and sat down on the couch between Rizzo and Jack. "Now, no one is allowed to make fun of this," I said before I opened the book. "My mother forced me into this."

I opened the book up to the first page. "Whoa," Mark breathed, as he looked at the pictures of me in the preliminary contests. "How old were you during all of this?"

"I was fifteen when I started out and sixteen when I won the crown."

"Do you still have the crown?" Bob Suter asked as he came over to join us.

"I think so; it's probably up in my old bedroom or something. I'm not sure what I happened to it. I think my crown and my sash and the rest of that junk are up there upstairs."

"Why'd you quit all of this?" Rizzo asked.

"It's just not me; this was what my mother wanted, not what I wanted," I told them. "I hate being someone's Barbie doll."

"You aren't a Barbie," OC told me.

"No, you aren't," Rizzo agreed. "You're a beautiful young lady with lots of talents who gives really good massages after a hard day of Herbies.

OC smiled. "You're great at working the knots out of my back."

"Well, it's my job to keep you in tip-top shape, so why not? Besides, it's actually fun to sit on your back and work all those knots out of your back. I get to talk to you guys, find out what's going on in your lives." I smiled at them. "You guys remind me that there's a world beyond the rinks, the ballet studio, and my apartment. My entire world is my three jobs and Heidi."

"What about dates?" Suter asked.

"I don't have time. I'd need a sitter for Heidi and I'd need a guy to ask me out."

"Some of the guys think that the real reason you aren't dating anyone is because you're waiting for OC to ask you out," Pavelich said as he came over to us.

I smiled. "Why would I do that?"

OC looked up from the album he'd taken away from me. "The guys think I'm always playing Daddy to Heidi, so they think that if I'm going to play Daddy to Heidi, I should play husband to you."

"Aren't they silly?"

He looked me in the eyes and smiled. "They are. For one thing, Heidi isn't going to be with you forever; someday Julie will come back and take her away from you."

"No she won't," I whispered. "She'll never do that."

"What?"

"I'll explain it to you later." Then we went back to looking at the photo album.

After dinner, my sisters took Heidi from me and Jack and I went outside to talk. He sat down next to me on the back porch. "So, what did you mean when you said that you'd never let Julie take Heidi away from you?"

"I'm going to take legal action to make sure that Julie can never take Heidi away from me," I told him as I rubbed my arms.

"You cold?" he asked, taking off his suit jacket.

I nodded and took it from him. "Thanks," I whispered as I put on his jacket.

"No problem. Now, what are you going to do about protecting Heidi from Julie?"

"I'm going to adopt her."

He gasped. "Really?"

I nodded. "She needs a mom and I can be a mother for her."

"Will the courts let a single woman adopt?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. If they want me to be a married woman before I adopt her, I'll find a way to work things out."

"Like what?"

"Maybe I'll force you to marry me," I teased.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders for the second time that evening. "You'll find a way to work everything out."

"Even if it means marrying you?"

"Sure," he replied. "Just don't invite your mother to the wedding. I don't think she likes me."

"Oh, well, I think my dad liked you."

"That's good. It means you won't get cut out of the will."

I laughed and leaned against him. "But hopefully, we won't have to deal with all of that just to adopt Heidi."

"I hope not. Getting married just for Heidi's sake would be pretty unstable."

"After all, we barely know each other."

"Maybe someday," he whispered.

"We'll talk about that after the Olympics."

"You promise?" Jack asked.

"I promise," I replied with as smile.

A/N: I hope you liked it and please review. But more importantly (if you can believe it) is I'm looking for a beta, so if you're interested and have time, email me. Also, be warned I'm really sick, so I may update really soon just because I have a lot of spare time on my hands and I can't go to school tomorrow.