A/N: I definitely don't own Miracle.

Staceygirl: I'm glad you liked it. I was trying to make them seem like a family and it worked!

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Thank you! Your review made me smile.

Meadow567: The best proposal you've read? That's high praise; thank you!

Icesk83r7-08: Thanks!

Prettypinkcheer5: I update as fast as I can.

Shelbers: Yeah, my computer hates some writers; you just roll with the punches. They could be like John and Elizabeth Edwards and go to McDonald's every year on their anniversary because that's where Jack proposed to her. (Except the Edwards go to Wendy's, but that's another story.)

Hica Lynn: New reviewer! I love new reviewers. I'm glad you loved the McDonalds scene. It seems to be fairly popular.

Darkdestiny2000: Thanks for reviewing. Yeah, I had tons of fun writing all that stuff about the "tailless wonder".

Jack's POV

Ellie agreed to marry me! We agreed to wait to tell our families until they arrived in Lake Placid the next day. I wasn't completely in favor of that idea because I wanted to tell anyone and everyone that Ellie was going to be my wife…in several months. Rob had asked us to not have our wedding this summer because Emily was due in April and they were planning their wedding for September. I pointed out to him that this summer Ellie and I would be moving to Chicago and she wouldn't have time to plan a wedding until this fall anyway. Then I would be playing hockey until next April at the earliest so we wouldn't have time to get married until next year anyway. "Have you told Ellie that yet?" he asked me.

"She's the one who told me that," I replied. "She is the most organized person I've ever met."

"Heidi did that to her," Mac said. "She used to be organized but never this organized."

I shrugged. "I don't mind it that much though. It's just this part of her personality that intrigues me and makes me love her more."

He laughed. "I know what you mean. Emily is obsessed with cleaning. She told me that cleanliness is next to godliness but I told her that there is a thin line between cleanliness and insanity and she was flirting with it."

"Actually, there's a thin line between genius and insanity and you're flirting with it," Ellie said walking into the room with Heidi on her hip.

I smiled at her as she sat down next to me. "Hey."

"Hey," she breathed snuggling up next to me. "How are you?"

"The Sweden game is tomorrow and I can't play," I told her. "But the girl of my dreams wants to marry me, so I guess I'm doing pretty well right about now."

She nodded. "I'd say you're doing well. You've got me and Heidi, and you'll be playing during the medal round."

"If the team makes it that far," I muttered.

"Are you saying you don't have any confidence in the rest of the guys and me?" Mac asked.

"No," I said. "I'm just thinking negatively right now."

"Why?" Ellie asked. "You have Heidi and me."

I kissed her cheek. "Oh so true, but I can't play and it's bugging me."

She leaned against me. "I know. But think positively and hope that the team makes it to the medal round and you can play."

I stroked her cheek with my thumb and smiled. "What would I do without you?"

"Be lonely and depressed," she replied with a laugh.

"Then I guess I need you."

She shrugged. "I suppose you do, but I think we're even because I need you too."

"Then I guess we are even," I told her. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep," she said slowly.

"And you, Mac?" I asked. "Are you ready?"

"OC," he said. "It's the Olympics; I was born ready for this."

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of Mac talking on the phone. "Hey, honey, are you coming to the game tonight?"

I figured it was Emily and grabbed my crutches. I hobbled off to the bathroom so I could take a shower and dress. Ellie said she might stop by on her way to breakfast, but she wasn't sure what Heidi would be interested in doing. Heidi was not known for her patience when it came to breakfast, or any other meal of the day.

When I got out of the shower, Mac was still talking on the phone. "Are you sure that's safe?" he asked sounding worried. "I don't know if you should be doing things like that right now. Emily, you're due in two months; you cannot do things like that."

I seriously did not want to know what they were talking about; knowing them it was probably something dirty. I started heading for the door when someone knocked. "Come in," I yelled.

And Ellie came in, carrying Heidi on her right hip. "We were wondering if you wanted to join us for breakfast."

"Absolutely," I replied. "Where are we going?"

"This place here in the Village that serves traditional breakfast foods. Rizzo and Gabby said we should meet them there."

"Gabby is here?" I asked.

My fiancée nodded. "She got here about an hour ago with Emily and Nina, so we were thinking we could all go out to breakfast."

"Rob's talking to Emily on the phone right now," I told her.

"I know," Ellie replied. "She's at their hotel room right now resting. She said they'd meet us later. You want to blow this pop stand?"

I nodded and we headed out the door into a blustery cold February day in upstate New York. We walked down the street to a small family-style restaurant where we found Johnson, Nina, Rizzo, Gabby, Jimmy, and Rammer wanting for us. "We're still waiting for Buzzy and Gayle," Jimmy told us as we sat down. "But they should be here soon."

"Do you have a ring yet?" Nina asked almost the minute Ellie's rear hit the seat.

Ellie nodded and showed Nina her left hand. I had given Ellie my grandmother's engagement ring, which was a plain silver band with a single diamond solitaire in the center. "It's gorgeous," Gabby squealed. "Jack, where did you get this ring? It must be like an antique or something."

"It was my grandmother O'Callahan's engagement ring," I told her. "And when she died, my father gave it to me to keep until I found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

"That's so romantic," Nina sighed. "I'd love a proposal like that."

Johnson rolled his eyes. "Both my grandmothers are still alive," he said. "And besides, I'm not proposing to you in McDonald's; Jack already used all the romance in that idea."

"Plus there is no way anyone is stealing my method of proposing," I told him. "I'm going to do something like trademark it."

Ellie laughed. "I'm not sure that's possible."

"Okay, well, no one can rip-off my style."

"Whatever," Johnson said. "I'm going to do something a million times more creative than you, OC."

"Watch," Rizzo said. "He'll end up proposing to her after a romantic dinner in a candlelit restaurant."

"That is so cliché," Ellie commented. "At least Jack's proposal was something I'll always remember and I can tell our children about."

"Yeah, it'll go like this," Jimmy said. "Heidi, you were actually there when this happened, but kids, your dad proposed to me at McDonalds."

"By the time we tell Heidi that story she will already know that she's adopted," I said firmly.

"We plan to tell her when she's pretty young," Ellie added. "It's important to us that she know the truth about her parents."

Ellie's POV

The team had practice in the afternoon to get them ready to play Sweden, so Jack had physical therapy. Actually, it was more like I tried to get him to try some exercises and he tried to kiss me. "Jack, do you or don't you want to be ready to play in the medal round?"

"I do," he said.

"Then stop trying to kiss me and do your exercises. If you're good, then I'll think about kissing you later."

"Are you serious?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure thing."

So, being the good boy that he is, Jack did everything I asked him to do for the next two hours. When the team started coming back into the locker room, my incorrigible fiancée looked up at me. "Now can I have a kiss?"

I smiled mischievously and kissed his nose. "There you go, sweetheart."

"Oh, darling," he replied. "That just was not good enough."

"Well, we're in public, in front of immature boys. That's all you're going to get."

"But I want more," he whined.

"Not now," I protested. "But maybe later, if you're good."

"What about Heidi?"

"Oh, Gayle wants to watch her for awhile before she surrenders her to your mother. Don't tell Buzzy, but I think she wants a baby."

Jack smiled. "Ellie, she's met Heidi; everyone who meets Heidi wants a baby. Heidi is just the kind of baby who makes people fall in love with babies."

"I know," I told him. "I fell in love with her the minute I laid eyes on her. Did I ever tell you I was there when she was born?"

"No, you didn't," he replied. "That's cool."

"Yeah, Ron is scared of blood and Julie's mother refused to be there, so I was there. It was loud and bloody, but totally amazing."

"Loud?"

"Julie was screaming and swearing for like twenty-seven hours. She wanted me to kill Ron at one point. At another point, she was threatening to have him castrated," I said with a smile. "Sometimes I'm afraid that I'll try to kill you when I deliver our kids."

"I think I can protect myself," he told me. "And besides, I'd know you wouldn't mean anything you said when you were in labor."

I kissed him on the lips. "That's how I know you love me and how I know I love you too."

"I thought you said you weren't going to kiss me like that in front of the guys," Jack said, seeming blown away.

I shrugged. "I changed my mind. I just couldn't resist you."

"I love how I can have so much control over you," he said with a mischievous smile.

"It's only because I'm madly in love with you."

"You're beautiful," he said, rubbing his thumb along my cheek. "What do you say we bust this pop stand?"

I smiled. "Hey, if it involves leaving this stink hole, I'm all for it."

He grabbed his crutches and hopped to the floor. We made our way back to our rooms to get changed and eat before the game. Jack had to wear a suit and tie while Herb wanted me to wear either a nice pantsuit or a skirt and blouse ensemble. I was supposed to meet my family and Jack's family at a restaurant after I got changed, but I got a surprise when I got out of the shower to the sound of a ringing phone.

"Hello? Elizabeth McClanahan, physical therapist to the United States Olympic Men's Hockey Team," I said.

"Lizzie dear, it's your mother," an all-too-familiar voice said.

"Mother, how are you?" I asked trying to sound enthused.

"Oh, I'm quite well."

"That's good to hear. Mother, how did you get this number?"

"I called Mrs. Pierce and asked her how to contact you because you weren't picking up your phone. And I desperately need to ask you a question. Where are you dear?" Mother sounded drunk again, which meant nothing good.

"In Lake Placid for the Olympics."

"Oh, is that happening this week? I completely forgot about it," she said trying to sound like a melancholy Southern belle. "Well, I'll have to call your dear father and ask him for the tickets he bought for Katherine and myself."

"Umm, two problems with that, Scarlet O'Hara," I told her. "First off, Dad is already in Lake Placid with Natalie and Jennie, and secondly, he sold your tickets."

"What?" she gasped. "My dear, you must be joking. To whom did he sell our tickets?"

"Umm, he sold yours to Jennie's boyfriend, Charlie, and we sold yours to Jack's younger brother's girlfriend."

"What?" she bellowed; I think she was loud enough to be heard in Canada. "You sold my tickets to the imbecile your idiot sister is dating?""

"He likes hockey," I replied calmly.

"And you sold your precious baby sister's tickets to that Irish jerk you're dating?" she squawked.

"Not to my fiancée," I said. "To his brother's girlfriend."

"Your what?" she gasped.

"My fiancée, the man I'm going to marry, Jack O'Callahan."

"You're my daughter and there is no way I could ever let you marry that man."

"Mrs. Miranda McClanahan, I may be your daughter, but you do not own me. I can marry whomever I choose and I have chosen Jack O'Callahan because I love him."

"If you're going to marry that subhuman creature, then I will be forced to disinherit you."

I shrugged. "That's fine by me. Now if you'll excuse me I have to dress and eat dinner before I get to the rink for the Sweden game. Good-bye, Mrs. McClanahan; I'll see you around." And without waiting for a response I hung up the phone. Why couldn't my mother just leave me alone?

Half an hour later, I walked into the restaurant where I was meeting the O'Callahans and my family. The team was eating dinner together but Herb had told me I could meet with my family. "It's not like you'd enjoy a meal of male bonding anyway," he had told me. "You'll enjoy eating with your sisters more."

So, I did eat with my family. I met James's girlfriend, Nora, and she was a real sweetheart. Annie O'Callahan had me laughing. Her mother told met that she frequently answers the phone "County Morgue, you stab 'em; we slab 'em."

"Are you serious?" I asked.

Annie shrugged. "It's fun. Sometimes, it gets me in trouble with Mom and Dad, but for the most part, it just confuses people."

Her mother shook her head. "Annie, you might want to find out who you're talking to before you say things like that. You nearly gave your grandmother a heart attack last week. And Mr. Silk said you scared him half to death when he called and you answered the phone saying, 'O'Callahan's Cannibal Roast, do you want to eat or be eaten?'"

"It's funny!" Annie protested.

"You scare people, Anne," her mother told her. "You need to be more careful about that."

Annie rolled her eyes. "Fine." Then she turned to me. "So, how are things with you and Jack?"

I shrugged. "They're going well." I wanted to wait to tell them about the engagement until Jack was there so we could do it together.

"Where's Heidi?" she asked me.

"Gayle Schneider's bringing her here soon."

"Can I watch her during the game?" she asked eagerly. "I love babies."

"Sure," I told her. "I was planning on giving her to your mom but you can help."

"Sweet, hey, Natalie, you and I get to take care of Heidi during the game."

Natalie came over to us. "Are you serious? That's awesome. Ellie, Charlie and Jennie are playing kissy-face again. He keeps calling her pookie and sugar-cookie and then kissing her on the lips."

"Tell them to cut it out or I'll kill them," I replied.

She went to talk to them and Charlie came over to me a few minutes later. "So you're going to kill me if I don't stop kissing your sister?"

I shrugged. "I guess so."

"Why?" the little shrimp asked. "You have a boyfriend."

"Yeah, but we don't make out during dinner."

"They wait for dessert," Annie inserted.

"Anne Kathleen O'Callahan," her mother said in a threatening tone. "I can hear you."

"Rats."

Charlie looked at me. "So when should I kiss your sister?"

"Not in restaurants," I told him. "You can kiss her when you bring her home from a date or when you are at the top of a Ferris wheel, but not in the middle of a restaurant."

"At the top of a Ferris wheel?" Charlie asked.

"Yep." I nodded.

"When am I going to be at the top of a Ferris wheel with your sister?"

"When you take her to the Minnesota state fair this summer, silly," I teased.

He shook his head. "Jennie was right; you're nuts."

"Everyone's nuts but me and thee and I'm not so sure about thee," I told him.

"What?" he said, staring at me, completely confused.

"Sanity is relative."

"Where do you kiss Jack?" he asked me.

"What?"

"Where do you kiss my brother?" Annie asked.

Charlie looked at her. "You're Jack's sister?"

"Last time I checked," she replied.

"I never would have guessed that."

"Yeah, I look like my mom's family, but James and John look like my dad."

Charlie nodded. "Well, I should get back to Jennie." Then he left.

"When do you kiss my brother?" Annie asked again after he was gone.

"When I feel like it," I replied. "It's really none of your business anyway, little girl."

She smiled. "I'm going to be so happy when you and Jack get married. I'm going to have the world's coolest sister-in-law."

I hugged her. "You're pretty cool, too."

"Thanks."

"So, have you decided where you're going to college?" I asked her.

"Yep, I'm going to follow in Jack and James's footsteps and head off to Boston University."

"And study what?"

"I'm thinking about teaching kindergarten."

I sighed. "Oh, that is such a cute age. You'll love it and you'll be great at it."

Annie grinned. "Thanks."

Just then I felt a firm hand on my shoulder and looked up to see my dad. "Hey," I said.

"Save your hay; you might meet a horse someday," he replied. "Ellie, I need to talk to you about something, privately."

"Well, I need to head over to the rink, so if you want to walk me over, we can talk then."

Dad nodded. "That's fine."

We grabbed our coats, Dad gave Jennie and James the tickets, and we paid the bill and headed out. We walked along in silence for a few minutes just watching our breath before I said, "All right Dad, what's up?"

"Tomorrow morning, I'm having your mother served with divorce papers," he said slowly.

"What? How? You're in New York and she's in Minnesota."

He nodded. "I know that, Ellie. I had everything taken care of before the girls and I left town and I arranged it with my attorneys that she would be served with the papers at nine-thirty tomorrow morning."

"I knew this was coming," I said under my breath. "I knew this was going to happen. I just didn't realize that it would be now."

"I know this isn't a complete surprise to you," my father told me. "And I wish I didn't have to do this to your sisters, but I need a divorce from your mother. I don't love her, she doesn't love me, and I need to get away from her; Ellie, she's an alcoholic. You can't expect me to stay married to an alcoholic."

"I'm not," I said. "It's kind of ironic that you're getting divorced now. Emily's going to have the baby in April and then she and Rob are getting married in September. And just last night, Jack asked me to marry him."

"And I would be correct in presuming that you said yes?" Dad asked.

I nodded. "Of course."

"Then congratulations, he's a good man. You know he asked both your brother and me for our permission to propose?"

"Yeah, Buzzy told me last night," I said with a smile.

"Good old Buzzy," Dad replied. "Well, Jack will make you happy, Emily will make Rob happy, and now maybe I can find someone who will make me happy."

I smiled. "Oh, you will, Dad, someday. Have you told the girls yet? About the divorce?"

He shook his head. "No, you're the first. I know you can keep it close to your chest. Don't tell anyone yet; I don't want Rob to have this in his head until after the Games are over. I'm not telling the girls because I know they'll blab."

"What about Mom?" I said.

"What about her?"

"She called me today. What if she calls Rob or the girls and tells them?"

"Then I'll deal with it then, but I doubt she'll call anyone. She'll probably get drunk out of her skull for a few days and then go buy something that costs hundreds of dollars only to have her credit card rejected. Then she'll get drunk again and God alone knows what will happen then. That's why I asked Henry to watch her while we're gone." Henry was our butler when I was little; Mom fired him when he tried to put her in rehab, but he's still close to the rest of the family.

"Why will her credit card be rejected?" I asked.

"I had all her credit cards cancelled earlier today," Dad explained. "Miranda is going to have go out and earn her own way in the world from now on. She's going to have to go out and get a job to support Kathie, the house, and her way of life."

"The world is changing," I whispered as we reached the rink. "Well, I have to go in now. Good luck, Daddy." I gave my dad a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek

"Thanks, sweetie. Tell Rob I said good luck," he told me as I went inside.

As I walked down the hall to the locker room, I realized that I had just called my dad "Daddy" for the first time since I was about seven. Holy cow, the world was changing.

The boys played Sweden that evening, but I don't remember a single minute of the game. I sleepwalked through everything. Rob suffered a leg contusion in the first period and I had to help Doc with that, but I barely remember a thing of any of it. I was in shock over everything that evening between my mother's phone call and my father's news. When the game was over, I retrieved Heidi from Mrs. O'Callahan and went back to my room where I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Well, that's chapter twenty-two. Please review! Okay, so quick other thing. Back in chapter sixteen, Rob and Emily decided that if they had a boy they would name him Logan David and if they had a girl, her name would be Meghan Joy. Well, now, you the reviewers get to choose the sex of the baby in your review. Let me know what day of April the baby should be born on and whether it should be a boy (Logan David) or a girl (Meghan Joy).