A/N: Okay, so to own Miracle, you have to be Disney but I agree with my older brother who says that Disney is an instrument of Satan on earth, so I'm don't own Miracle because I'm not Disney.

Jack's POV

I walked into what was going to be my room for the next two weeks and found Mac sitting on my bed, looking more than a little out of it. I decided to check this out. "I was just making out with your sister, Rob."

"That's nice," he said without looking up.

"I'm going to shoot myself in the head."

"Have fun with that," was all he said.

"But first I'm going to shoot you," I told him.

"Lucky me."

"Rob, I'm in love with you. I think I want to marry you."

"What the heck?" he screamed. "Jack, what the heck is wrong with you? I thought you wanted to marry my sister."

"I do, but I had to get you get out of la-la land. You were completely zoned out; you needed me to do that to you."

He smiled faintly. "I was thinking."

"About Emily?"

He nodded. "How'd you know?"

"Jimmy told me; he made Ellie tell him."

"So you know that I have cold feet?"

I nodded. "And I understand it a little."

"I'm not sure that I love Emily."

"What about the baby?"

"I told you I was confused," he countered. "I don't know what I want."

"Do you love Emily?"

"I don't know."

"Why did you ask her to marry you?"

"Because I wanted to be with her and she's pregnant with my baby."

"I'm confused," I told him.

Mac laughed. "You think you're confused, try being me. I want to be with her, but I'm not sure I love her."

"How does that work? Don't you want to spend the rest of your life with her?"

Mac shook his head. "I want to be with her. Like the first time I was ever with her, it was in the back of Rammer's station wagon and it was absolutely amazing. I want that feeling again." He paused and looked at me. "Have you ever been with a girl like that?"

I shook my head. "Never. I know it sounds weird, but I'm waiting for the right woman."

"Really? You? Jack O'Callahan? You're not the first guy I would have thought of if I was making a list of guys on the team who are still virgins; in fact, you're the last guy."

"Yeah, well, things aren't always the way they appear," I told him. "I was raised in a good Catholic family and being a good Catholic boy just stuck with me. See, I'm all talk and no action when it comes to women. Jimmy used to say that Silky and I were going to head off to the seminary together."

"Wow, I guess I don't really know you as well as I thought I did," he said. "When you first started dating Ellie, I thought you were just using her to get your kicks. And I never could figure out why Heidi loved you so dang much and was so good for you when if I held her she just screamed. You seem to have this natural talent with babies and women. It's like you know all the secrets of life."

I snorted. "You've got the wrong man, Mac. I'm good with babies because my parents are both the oldest of several children and I grew up around all my little cousins. Changing diapers and playing duck-duck-goose was the way to survive in my family. And for some reason, I have this honing device that just draws women to me. I don't know why I'm such a magnet to women."

"You're nice," he told me.

"What?" I was confused, as usual.

"You're this good, decent guy and girls love that. You're a gentleman and it probably doesn't hurt that you're good looking."

"I'm good looking?"

"Ellie certainly seems to think so; she only dates good looking men. Plus, the last time I saw her, Jennie said you were 'real hot stuff' and I do quote."

I laughed. "Jennie thinks I'm real hot stuff? Have you seen her new boyfriend?"

"No, have you?"

I nodded. "He's short, like seriously really short; he's as tall as Ellie."

"You're kidding?" Rob gasped. "Jennie's taller than Ellie."

"I know; it's really funny."

"When do I get to meet him?"

"After you make up with Ellie," I told him.

He gasped. "What?"

"He's coming to the Games with your family and in order for you to meet him, you need to make up with Ellie. That's my deal; you can take it or leave it."

He sighed as I watched him closely. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll go talk to her."

"And you'll talk to Emily before the baby's born?"

"Why is that so damned important to you and my sister?"

"Because we don't want Emily to be sitting there with a newborn baby and no fiancée. We want her to know what she's getting into ahead of time."

"Should I marry her?" he asked me.

"I guess it all comes down to another question. Do you love her?"

Rob stared at the wall for what seemed like an eternity; the clock on the bedside table said it was only five minutes, but I digress. He nodded slowly and then said, "More than anything in the world. And she's the mother of my child; I need to do what's best for all three of us."

"I'm proud of you," I told him. "You're doing the right thing."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah, just ask my sister to marry you already."

"Go make up with her and I'll take care of that. Right now I have a stretched ligament in my leg that wants to lie on the bed. Now get out of here."

He smiled at me. "You know my sister adores you?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah, go talk to her."

"You stole my line!" he yelped.

"Just go talk to your sister. We'll deal with that later. Now shoo!" I waved him off with my hand before collapsing on the couch.

Ellie's POV

I was sitting on the couch in my room talking to Gayle when someone knocked on the door. Gayle was playing with Heidi, so I answered the door; it was Robbie. "Can I talk to you?" he asked shyly.

"Sure," I told him stiffly. "Come in."

"Hey, Gayle," he said, waving slightly. "How are you?"

"No complaints," she said mildly.

I knew something was up with Rob because he was shifting from foot to foot. "Something wrong, Rob?" I asked him.

"Can I talk to you in private?" he asked worriedly.

"Sure," Gayle answered for me. "Heidi and I will go visit Buzzy; I'm sure he'd enjoy the company. Heidi, say bye-bye to Mamma and Uncle Robbie."

Heidi gurgled as Gayle waved her little hand at us.

When we had privacy, I looked at my brother. "What's up?"

"You're dating an amazing guy," he told me.

"I know," I told him with a smile. "But what brings this about?"

"He helped me to realize that I was being a jerk and that I really do love Emily."

"How'd he do that?"

"He just talked to me about why he's a babe magnet," Rob told me.

"Are you serious?" I asked him.

"Sort of, he talked about his relationships with women, all stuff I'm sure you know about, and then he asked me some questions. He straightened some things out in my head."

"And you're going to keep your promises to Emily?"

My twin nodded. "Jack warmed up my cold feet."

I smiled and hugged him. "So the fight's off?"

"Absolutely, we're friends again."

"Good stuff."

Robbie left telling me he was going to send Jack over. "I'll give you two lovebirds some time together," he told me teasingly.

Jack came in a few minutes later. "Where's your couch?" were the first words out of his mouth after I opened the door.

"I love you too, darling," I told him before pointing him to the couch.

"You want to come join me here?" he asked with a coy smile.

I raised my eyebrows. "All right, but you have to promise to be a gentlemen, Mr. O'Callahan."

"I'll keep my hands to myself," he told me as I sat down next to him. "I promise."

I smiled at him. "That's my good boy. So, I hear you saved Rob and Emily's relationship?"

He shrugged. "I slapped some sense into your brother's head."

"I hope you didn't hurt him," I said making a corny attempt at a joke.

"Nothing life threatening," he replied. "Where's Heidi?"

"Visiting Gayle," I told him. "She likes playing Mommy."

"It's practice for when she finally ready decides she's ready to raise two children."

I rolled my eyes. "You know Buzzy is capable of being mature."

"Yeah sure."

"So, what are you supposed to be doing about that knee of yours?"

"Resting, relaxing, keeping it, using these crutches to get around, depending on my loving girlfriend for everything."

I shook my head. "Yeah, right. I know you have some sort of physical therapy regimen you need to be following."

"Talk to Doc about it; he knows what I'm supposed to be doing."

I sighed. "Jack, I know what you're supposed to be doing. When the rest of the team is practicing, you and I are supposed to be working on your therapy."

"Kissing you could be part of my therapy."

"No, that's an extracurricular event. Therapy is about stretching and regaining control of the muscle, not making out with your girlfriend no matter how good looking she is."

"And man, is she good looking or what?"

I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the softness of my couch. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm in love with you."

"Because I'm the only one for you forever, in your eyes and your words and in everything you, nothing else would do forever-except me!"

"Been having the late night Natalie Wood marathons with Jimmy again, I see," I remarked.

"Yeah, but I still don't get why you girls think Tony is so romantic. He dies because Anita told him Maria was dead. Why should he trust Anita? She's never been nice to him before. Why would she be nice to him then?"

"Jack, darling, you're rambling."

"I don't care. It's a free country; I can ramble if I like."

"Sure, but this room is property of the International Olympic Committee and therefore, it is rambling free."

"Drat international policy," he said in a false British accent. "I just want to have some good old-fashioned American fun with my girlfriend."

"Well, you can't, so let's do something else."

"Like what?" he asked eagerly.

"Play Scrabble."

We were playing Scrabble when someone pounded on the door. I went to open it and found Rizzo and Jimmy on the other side. "Can Jack come out to play?" Rizzo asked in a childish voice.

I smiled. "We're playing Scrabble, but you can join us if you like."

"Ellie," he whined. "It's dinner time; it's six o'clock."

"Are you serious?" I gasped. "We've been playing Scrabble for four hours?"

"Pathetic, huh?" Jimmy teased.

I ignored his comment and went on. "And Gayle has had Heidi for almost five hours? Oh my goodness, where did the time go?"

"Time flies when you're having fun," Jack commented from his throne on the couch.

"Will you two come to dinner with us now?" Rizzo begged.

"Yes, we will since Gabby isn't here yet and I know you're dying of loneliness," I told him. "Hey, cripple, take up your crutches and walk."

"I'm not a cripple," he protested. "I'm merely temporarily four-legged."

"Like a dog?" Rizzo asked as Jack hobbled to the door.

"I don't have a tail, you moron." They were old friends and the teasing between the two of them just flowed naturally.

"So, we go and find food is my vote," Jimmy said, completely ignoring Jack. "If that's all right with the tailless wonder." Okay, so maybe he didn't ignore Jack's comment, but he almost did.

"Where do you propose we find this food?" the tailless wonder asked. And you know he brought this on himself.

"Well, some of the guys were talking about going to a McDonald's here in the Village," Rizzo said.

"Define some of the guys," I told him.

"The Coneheads, Johnson, Mac, Silky, and pretty much everyone else."

"If the Coneheads are coming, does that mean that Gayle is coming?" I asked.

Rizzo shrugged. "I guess."

"Then we're going to the place that will reunite me with Heidi the fastest."

"She's obsessed with Heidi," Rizzo whispered to Jack.

"I heard that, Michael Eruzione," I yelled in his ear. "And she's my daughter; I have every reason in the world to be obsessed with her."

He sighed. "You're such a mother."

"That's because she is a mother, you moron," Jack told him.

"Shut up you tailless wonder," Rizzo retorted.

"When I was a kid, we had a three-legged dog," Jack began.

"I've heard this story before," Rizzo whined.

"So have I," Jimmy moaned.

"But I haven't," I said. "And I want to hear it."

"Okay, so when Jack was like eight or something his family had this dog named Groucho. The name was a joke; it was the sweetest dog you ever met. But anyway, one day, the O'Callahans' neighbor hit Groucho or something and the vet had to amputate one of his legs."

"The vet amputated his own leg?" I joked. "How painful."

"No, girlfriend of moronic tailless wonder, your boyfriend's stupidity is rubbing off on you. The vet had to amputate one of Groucho's legs. So the poor dog walked around the O'Callahans' house on three legs for like ten years. I met the dog; it was cool," Jimmy told me.

"What happened to him?" I asked.

"He died," Rizzo told me.

"The same neighbor who hit him the first time hit him again like five years ago and killed him," Jack explained.

"Yeah, he died," Rizzo retorted.

"But you didn't explain how he died and he died in a very dramatic way," I protested. "You have to give me details."

"Why? Are you a slow learner like Jack?" he asked.

"No, you're just so stupid that you're confusing me."

"Kids, kids, kids, stop fighting," Jimmy told us. "Hey, OC, can I give your girlfriend a piggyback ride?"

Jack shrugged. "I guess so. Ask her."

"Ellie, can I give you a piggyback ride?" he asked.

"Why?" I asked him.

"My nieces are coming to the Games and I have to get back in practice at piggyback rides."

"All right, are you going to take me all the way to McDonald's?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Sure."

So, I hopped on his back and let him carry me to McDonald's. When we got there, Johnson yelled, "Hey, OC, when'd you let Jimmy steal your girl?"

"I'm didn't steal her," Jimmy informed him. "I'm borrowing her for practice when my nieces come to visit."

"You're going to date your nieces?" Bah asked. "That's sick."

"You're sick," my horse told the sheep. "I'm not dating my nieces or Ellie. My nieces are addicted to piggyback rides and I haven't given any rides since last summer, so Ellie is giving me practice."

"And OC sanctioned this?" Silky asked.

"I had no choice," Jack told him. "Jimmy needs the practice and Ellie likes piggyback rides."

"Can I get down now?" I asked. "I want to see my baby."

"Gayle has her," Jimmy said. "I like having a girl on my back."

"You have my girl on your back," my darling boyfriend told him. "So when she asks to be put down, you put her down."

"Fine," Jimmy sighed and let me down.

I took Heidi from Gayle and kissed her forehead. "Did you have fun with Gayle and Buzzy? Were you good?"

"She was an angel," Gayle told me. "She fell asleep around three and just slept for almost three hours. I thought about bringing her back to you but she looked too peaceful."

"It's fine," I told her. "Jack and I played Scrabble for hours."

"Oh, Scrabble," Buzzy said. "So that's what you kids are calling it these days."

"Buzzy, you have the dirtiest mind of anyone I've ever met."

"You know what they say," he said. "Dirty mind, warm hands."

"Go talk to your wife with your warm hands."

"You ruin all my fun," he protested. "And you've been doing it for years."

"That's my job," I told him. "To stop your party."

He rolled his eyes and I was about to go join Jimmy and Rizzo in line to order when I overheard Robbie say, "Hey, Jack, did you ask my sister to marry you yet?"

"What?" I screamed. "What are you talking about?"

"I guess he hasn't asked her yet," Buzzy said.

"Hold on," I said slowly, handing Heidi to Gayle and staring at Jack. "What's going on? Is Jack going to ask me to marry him sometime in the near future?"

Jack nodded. "I was going to wait until after the Games," he said slowly. "But I guess the guys kind of ruined that."

"He even asked both your dad and Rob for permission," Buzzy told me.

"And he had this really romantic evening planned," Rizzo added. "With roses and a candlelit dinner, Gabby and Gayle helped him plan it."

"And I ruined it all," Rob said, sounding perfectly miserable.

"Yeah, I'm not even in a state where I can get down on my knee," Jack concluded sadly.

"That doesn't matter," I said. "You can still ask me after the Games."

"No I can't," he said. "You'll be expecting it and it won't be as romantic anymore."

"Then figure out a new romantic way," I told him.

"I just did," he said softly and slowly. The entire team was staring at him silently, watching him as he motioned me towards him. I walked towards him as if in a trance, like we were the only two people in the whole world. "Sit on my knee," he whispered in a deep husky voice that seriously turned me on.

"But it's hurt," I protested.

"My good knee," he told me. He seemed sure about it, so I complied. After I was settled on his knee, he looked into my eyes. "You're the most amazing woman in the world, Ellie. I love you more than anything in the world."

"And I love you too," I told him.

"Ellie, listen to me," he said. "I love you, Elizabeth Grace McClanahan, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He paused for breath and pulled something out of his pocket, but he wouldn't let me see it. "Elizabeth, will you do me the honor of consenting to spend the rest of your life with a lousy, crazy Irish-Catholic boy from Boston?"

I smiled, kissed him, and threw my arms around his neck. "Are you going to answer him?" Baker bellowed. "C'mon, Ellie! The man is waiting for an answer."

Jimmy smiled sentimentally. "I think she gave him her answer already."

"Just say it," Christian yelled. "Just say yes!"

I smiled and bit my lip. "Of course I will," was all I could say. Suddenly, I gathered energy. "Yes, yes, of course," I giggled. "I'll marry you, Jack O'Callahan. I love you and I'll marry you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you; I need to."

Jack smiled and kissed me in front of everyone in McDonald's.

I was so happy that I completely forgot to eat dinner that night, but I never cared. I was going to marry Jack O'Callahan, the guy who used to hate my brother. Who knew that in seven short months he would become my reason for living, my other half?

A/N: Okay, so I had this whole great scene lined up in my head where Jack was going to propose to Ellie after the US beat the Soviets, but then I was writing this chapter and I thought "well, that's all well and good, but somehow I think that getting proposed to at McDonalds in front of the entire team would be just as romantic and memorable." So, this is it. Please review!