A/N: I still don't own Miracle. Thank you to everyone who reviewed.

Staceygirl: Jack is never going to cheat on Ellie; that's just her fears of her marriage falling apart the way her parents' marriage did manifesting itself. (It's all very psychological.)

Darkdestiny2000: I know it's not Ellie's job to preserve her parents' marriage. Mr. McClanahan has every right to leave that marriage because it isn't a marriage anymore; it's a societal farce. (Sorry, I'm really into psychology these days and it's spilling over into ALL of my writing.) I understand how this stuff gets to you I'm glad you like the dreams; they're fun to write.

Emador: Don't hold your breath waiting or you'll die because you might be waiting for a long time again.

Miraclegirl: I get these things up as fast as I can but I am a very busy little girl.

Meadow567: I'm glad you liked it. You're going to put this on your site? That's awesome!

Ellie's POV

Christmas was interesting to say the least. Robbie, Emily, my dad, Jennie, Natalie, and Jack came over to my apartment for dinner. Mom and Kathie would be spending the holiday somewhere else. I didn't know or care where they were.

I could tell that Jennie and Natalie were trying to have a good time but they were nervous and confused. This was the first Christmas without Mom and Kathie and since Mom and Dad's separation had only come a few weeks earlier, we were all a little worried about what to say/do around Dad. No one was going to mention Mom or Kathie around Dad but we weren't sure what else we were supposed to do. The whole situation was a little weird.

Jack and Robbie showed up first with meatballs from Rizzo. "He's spending the day with Gabby's family, but he decided to send something along for your table too," Jack told me before kissing my cheek and placing the dish of meatballs in my hands.

Robbie looked at me. "He made me carry all the presents." He showed me two grocery bags filled with bright wrapped packages.

"You poor baby," I replied. "Now go put them under the tree."

He moaned and stuck out his lower lip. "Yes, ma'am."

"That's my good boy," I teased as I headed off to the kitchen.

I was in the kitchen stirring the mashed potatoes when Jack walked in carrying Heidi. "She's a princess," he whispered. "You know, she turns me in to such a softie whenever I even just look at her. She takes me from being this big macho guy to someone who just wants to hold her in my arms and coo at her."

I laughed and kissed him. "You know, my brother says I'm a princess."

He shook his head. "I think you're a queen," he said before kissing me again.

"Emily's here!" Robbie yelled from the living room.

I went out into the living room to find my brother kissing his fiancée, his pregnant fiancée. I was glad that my mother wasn't here for that family event; I couldn't even imagine what she would have to say about that.

Emily pulled away from Rob and came to me. "You look great," I told her with a hug. "You really do."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Jack was holding Heidi on his hip, and Emily went over to him. She tickled Heidi's foot and Jack smiled at Emily. Emily had told me once that being around Jack, Jimmy, and Rizzo always made her a little uncomfortable because she knew they had all grown up in Catholic families and Catholics looked down on out-of-wedlock pregnancies. Emily just nodded and went back to Robbie.

"I should probably get back to my mashed potatoes," I said. "Rob, let me know when Dad and the girls get here, would you? Jack, can you help me in the kitchen?"

Rob nodded and Jack followed me into the kitchen. "What should I do?"

"Give those two some alone time. You can make your spaghetti and cream of chicken soup thing," I told him.

"That's Mrs. Eruzione's spaghetti and cream of chicken soup thing," he protested.

"No it's not. I asked Rizzo about it once and he said that you made it up once when the only food the two of you had in your dorm was spaghetti noodles and a can of cream of chicken soup." I smiled slyly at him. "I'm on to you John Patrick O'Callahan."

"Oh really, Elizabeth Grace McClanahan? You're onto me?"

"I know your tricks, you little rascal. Now help with dinner."

He put Heidi in her playpen and started cooking. He was filling a pot with water when he stopped and looked at me. "Emily's scared of me, isn't she?"

I nodded.

"Why?"

"You were raised Catholic and she thinks you think she's going to hell for getting pregnant before she got married."

Jack nodded and put the pot on the stove. "As a Catholic I was also trained to believe in mercy and compassion."

"She's scared," I told him. "She's scared of everyone. Just because her parents are accepting this doesn't mean that other people are. The minister at her parents' church all but told her she's going to hell."

I sighed. "I hate judgmental people."

"So do I," he said. "I know I'm Catholic but that doesn't mean I go around saying that people are going to hell."

I smiled and changed the subject. "What would today be like if you were spending it with your family?"

"It'd be insane," he started. "We'd be at my grandparents' house and all my cousins would be there."

"Which side of the family?"

"My mom's family, they're Irish too," he said. "My mom and all my aunts would be in the kitchen cooking up a storm while our dads would be talking and arguing."

"What would you be doing?"

"Probably playing football with my cousins and James or helping Annie watch the little cousins."

"How many cousins do you have?"

"Like thirty on my mom's side and twenty on my dad's side, my mom is one of eight kids and my dad's one of five."

"So it's one big Irish-Catholic family?"

He nodded. "Intensely, we all go to Midnight Mass together on Christmas Eve."

I smiled. The night before Rizzo, Jimmy, Silky, and Jack had gone to Midnight Mass together and dragged me along with them. It had been a very beautiful experience and I wanted to go with them again next year but who knew where we'd all be next year? Atlanta was after Jimmy, Chicago was after Jack, and who knew where Rizzo and Silky would be?

Jack kissed my neck and started stirring the cream of chicken soup. "Do you ever think about where we'll be in a year?" he asked without looking at me.

"Well, hopefully, you'll be in Chicago playing hockey and I'll probably be here working at a hospital or a rehab facility somewhere nearby," I told him sadly. I didn't want to be separated from him-ever.

"What if you and Heidi come to Chicago with me?" he asked tentatively.

"Then I'd have to get a new license to practice in Illinois," I said.

"But would you come with me?" he asked. "Would you leave your family for me?"

"Chicago is just a train ride or a plane ride from here," I told him. "It wouldn't be that hard for me to come up here to visit my family a couple of times a year. We could have an apartment in Chicago and a house in Minneapolis or Boston. We could work things out."

"Does that mean you want to come to Chicago with me?" He had dropped the spoon; he was watching me with bated breath.

I nodded. "After Chicago signs you, Heidi and I will move to Chicago and get an apartment."

He kissed me. "I love you so much, princess."

I kissed him and smiled. "I love you too."

Jack's POV

I was holding Ellie in my arms when someone knocked on the door. I didn't move an inch; I knew Rob or Emily would get it. I wasn't ready to let go of Ellie just yet. She had just told me she would come to Chicago with me. I was the happiest man in the world at that moment.

Someone cleared his or her throat just then. "Ellie, Jack," Mac said. "Dad and the girls are here. Come say hello and cut the romance. Jack, let go of my sister."

I let go of Ellie and watched her as she picked up Heidi. Then we went into the living room where Rob, Emily, Mr. McClanahan, Natalie, and Jennie were waiting. I could never believe how little Natalie and Jennie looked like Ellie and Mac. Ellie and Mac both had dark brown hair and brown eyes; their younger sisters had blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Ellie!" Natalie squealed running to her sister.

Ellie gave Natalie a one-armed hug. "Natalie," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she said. "It's weird living in a different house without all of Mom's precious staff, but I like it. No one bosses me around all the time. After school, Jennie just drives me home and we just hang around until Dad gets home."

"Who cooks dinner?" Ellie asked.

"Dad or me," Jennie said walking over to us. "I'm only good with canned soup or macaroni and cheese, but I'm trying to learn."

"Jack knows some good recipes he could teach you," Ellie said, shooting a teasing look at me. I just smiled at her.

"Jack," Jennie said turning to me. "Are you treating Ellie well?"

I laughed. "Rob would kill me if I didn't."

Ellie smiled. "So, Jennie, how are things with you and Adam?"

"Oh, we only went out on that one date," she said casually. "He's gorgeous and everything, but he's not much of a conversationalist."

"But she's dating someone new now," Natalie announced.

"Who?" Mac asked.

"When do we get to meet him?" Mr. McClanahan asked.

"His name is Charlie Fabian," Jennie said. "And he's the smartest guy in my Algebra class."

"Is he a conversationalist?" I asked.

"He's okay," Jennie said. "He's not Robbie or you, but he's not Adam either."

"When do we get to meet him?" Mr. McClanahan asked again.

"I'm not sure I want him to meet you just yet."

"I've met him," Natalie pointed out.

"Then the rest of the family should meet him," Ellie said. "I'd like to know who my sister is dating."

Jennie had a look of genuine fear in her eyes. "But you'll scare him off. Jack and Robbie, they'll scare him. He doesn't like big scary boys."

"Big scary boys?" Emily queried.

Jennie nodded. "Charlie is about Ellie's height."

Now, Ellie isn't short-for a woman. She's about five-foot-four, but a guy that height is really short.

"He's kind of geeky looking," Natalie said. "He has curly brown hair and big glasses. He's a real geek and not cute at all."

"Being cute isn't everything," Emily told the fourteen-year-old. "Sometimes you have to look inside a person to see their real beauty."

Ellie looked at me. "We should check on dinner," she said softly.

"I'll come with you," Mr. McClanahan told us. "I'd like to help."

And so we left Rob and Emily in the living room with Jennie and Natalie.

An hour later, we sat down at the table for Christmas dinner. Mr. McClanahan sat at the head of the table and Ellie took the foot. I sat on her right and Heidi was in her high chair at her mother's left. Mac was sitting to his father's right and Emily was between Mac and Heidi. Jennie was sitting at her father's left and Natalie was between Jennie and me.

"What's that?" Natalie said pointing to the bowl of pasta and cream of chicken soup.

"That is my specialty," I told her. "It's pasta and cream of chicken soup."

"It looks like worms, worms covered in slime," she remarked.

"It's delicious," Ellie said quickly.

"It looks gross," was Natalie's reply.

"I think it looks good," Jennie interjected. "What do you think, Dad?"

"I'm willing to try anything," he said. "And if you girls like it, maybe Jack will give me the recipe so I can take over more of the cooking from Jennie."

"But it looks gross," Natalie protested. "When we lived with Mom, we never would have eaten food like this."

"When we lived with Mom, life sucked other than having a chef who was trained in France," Jennie pointed out. "I mean did you really enjoy watching her get drunk everyday? Did you really enjoy being forced to participate in beauty pageants? Did you really enjoy being bossed around incessantly? Was life really that great when we lived with Mom?"

Natalie shrugged. "We always had good food to eat."

"But was it worth it just for the food?" Ellie asked. "You could come live with me and you'd have good food, but would it be worth living away from both your parents?"

Again, Natalie just shrugged her shoulders. I was beginning to discover that she didn't think for herself very much. Ellie had once told me that Natalie was always either very selfish or doing whatever Jennie did. It bugged Ellie to no end and it was beginning to drive me to distraction as well. I was starting to get to know Jennie and Natalie pretty well because they were spending Thursdays with Ellie so their dad could have some alone time.

I looked at Natalie and spoke carefully. "Natalie, you're fourteen. You're going to have to start developing opinions someday. Why not start now? Learn the facts about your mother and make decisions for yourself about her. You don't have to leave your mother's home unless you want to. Your father and Jennie left because they disagree with your mother's lifestyle. Why did you leave?"

"Because she scares me and I didn't want to live without Jennie," Natalie said shyly. "She's the only who I'm really close to and I didn't want to have to stay in that house with just Mother and Kathie."

"Why?" her father asked her.

"She gets mad and yells," Natalie said softly. "Then she drinks more and throws things." She shook her head. "It scares me and I don't like it."

I smiled at her as Ellie said, "Then you don't have to go back there. You can stay with Dad and keep coming to see me on Thursdays."

"I don't want to see Mother ever again," Natalie whispered. She was crying now. "She hurts people."

Ellie went over to Natalie and hugged her. "It's going to be okay," she whispered in her ear and squeezed her shoulder.

I looked around at the McClanahan family; they had dysfunctional written all over them. I'd never figured out how Mac and Ellie had turned out to be such sane and normal people considering what their family was like.

Emily was five months pregnant and engaged to Mac, who promised to marry her after the baby was born. Heidi was adopted because her father didn't care about her and her mother was druggie. Mr. McClanahan had left his wife because she was an alcoholic. Jennie and Natalie were living with the consequences of that.

They made my family seem so normal. I hated to even think that, but it was true. My parents had been happily married for twenty-four years. James and Annie were a little weird sometimes, but all in all, we were a pretty close family. I really needed to call them after dinner.

Ellie's POV

After dinner, Jack and I were in the kitchen together. He was calling his family to wish them a merry Christmas and I was washing the dishes. I smiled as I heard him teasing his younger brother about his new girlfriend. "Come on, James, you know you want to tell me all about her," he said. "Is she pretty? What's her name?"

After about five minutes of him getting nowhere with James, I grabbed the phone from Jack. "Let me deal with this," I told my boyfriend. "Hey, James, it's Ellie."

"Hey, Ellie," my boyfriend's brother said. "How are you?"

"I'm pretty good. My family's over for Christmas and your brother has been keeping me very happy," I told him.

"Eww," he mumbled and I laughed.

"So, how's your Christmas going?"

"It's pretty good," he said. "I got lots of money, which is good."

"That's good. So, anything else new in your life?"

"Not really."

"Your mom said you have a new girlfriend."

"Yeah," he said.

I nodded. "How'd you meet her?"

"School," was all James said.

"That's great."

"Actually, my roommate introduced us," he added.

"Awesome," I said with a smile. "Is she pretty?"

"Yeah," he said softly. "She's the most beautiful woman in the world."

"What does she look like?"

"She has brown hair and blue eyes," he started. "She's short and skinny, like you. And she's a dance major! Ellie, you have to meet her."

"Bring her to the Olympics," I told him. "What's her name?"

"Nora O'Brien, she's Irish," he told me. "And I promise you I will bring her to the Olympics. I told her about Jack and you and Heidi; she can't wait to me you all. She's met Annie and my parents and she really wants to meet you three, so I'm bringing her with me to Lake Placid."

"That's awesome. Jack and I can't wait to meet her. Do you want to talk to your brother again?"

"Yeah, plus I think Ma wants to talk to him again. Say, when are you two getting married?"

"Jack hasn't asked me yet," was my reply.

"Well, when is he going to?" James asked.

"Good-bye, James. I'll talk to you later," I said, handing Jack the phone. "James wants to talk to you. And be warned; your mother should invest in some psychiatric help for your brother."

Jack laughed. "Jamie, what are you telling my girlfriend? You asked her when we're getting married? James, I swear you need to start minding your own business."

I smiled as I washed the dishes. Jack and James were really close and Jack loved teasing his younger brother. "Look, I'll marry her when I'm good and ready," Jack said. "And watch out, that may be sooner than you think."

I think he'd forgotten I was in the room, but hearing that shocked me. Jack had thought about marriage? I knew I'd thought about it plenty of times, but I was a woman and I had Heidi to take care of; in some ways, I had to think about marriage. I had to provide a stable environment for Heidi. I couldn't have boyfriends coming and going all the time.

When he got off the phone, Jack looked at me. "So, James asked me when we're getting married."

"He asked me the same question."

"I told him I didn't know because I hadn't asked you yet," he told me.

"Are you going to ask me?"

"Someday, but not yet," he said.

"Why not?" I asked him. I wanted to marry him.

"I'm waiting for the perfect moment to surprise you," he told me.

A/N: Okay, please review! I hope you liked it. The next chapter is going to be the last one before MSG and the Olympics.