A/N: Okay, I'm back with chapter 26. I still don't own Miracle and I still love all my reviewers.

Jack's POV

Logan David Sibley-McClanahan was home and now a week old. Rob, Emily, Logan, Ellie, Heidi, and I were hanging out at Ellie's apartment and I had plenty of questions I wanted to ask Rob such as "Why did you leave Emily back in February?"

"You guys are going to think I am so crazy," Rob replied from his seat on a kitchen chair he'd dragged into the living room.

"We already think that," Ellie told her twin. "So just spill the beans. You had so people worried about you and we deserve an explanation."

Rob looked nervously around the room. Ellie and I were sitting on the couch with Heidi in my lap. Emily was sitting in the rocker with Logan. And Rob was isolated in his kitchen chair. I think Ellie's goal in that setup was to intimidate her brother into talking. She was mad at him and she wanted answers.

"I was scared," Rob told us. "I realized that after the Games, everything with the team was going to be over. I was going to have to go out there and get a real job. I was going to have to face the reality that Logan was coming into the world. I was going to have to start focusing on my family. My carefree college lifestyle was coming to an end and I didn't want it to end. And I knew that if I went to stay with Henry, he would be there for me and take care of me for a while. I knew it wasn't a permanent solution to my problem, but it would work until I was ready to face the music."

"And what about the people who needed you?" Ellie asked. "Rob, there were people depending on you and you let them down. You weren't there for your fiancée or your baby at a really critical time. Within about a month, Emily lost her job, you left her, and she lost her apartment. And she was pregnant. What did you think would happen to her?"

Rob shrugged. "I guess it's kind of obvious."

"Yeah, it is," I interjected. "It's very obvious that you didn't think. You didn't sit down and think about the fact that Emily was pregnant and unemployed. She was going to need support. At the first test of responsibility on your part, you flipped out and ran. You can't do that. If you're going to be a man, you have to face your challenges."

"But Jack," my fiancée's twin protested. "I'm not you. I'm not the chivalrous gentleman who will just jump up and take care of the damsel in distress. That's not me. I'm more cautious. Maybe it's because I grew up with my mother, but that's not the point."

"Two things," Ellie interrupted. "First of all, that is the point. And secondly, you've really been acting like Mom lately. You've been drinking constantly and just completely sidestepping responsibility. The point here is that you may not have been born with what you call Jack's naturally chivalrous nature; that's fine. But you have to compensate for that. You have to recognize the needs of the people you love. You can't just look out for number one. You have to demonstrate responsibility."

"There are consequences for your actions," I added. "Logan is a symbol of that. Rob, you've gone around with this 'devil may care' attitude for the past several years. That's not right. You have to look at the needs of the people around you. A week ago, Emily needed you more than she's ever needed you before. And you were in a bar getting drunk. Buzzy, Rammer, Bah, Jannie, Rizzo, Jimmy, Silky, and I were all out looking for you. And what happened? We found you drunk out of your skull in a bar. Meanwhile, Emily was in labor about to give birth to your child."

"I get it!" Rob yelped. "I messed up big time. So just tell me how to fix it."

Ellie and Emily must have been preparing for that question or something because they were so ready for it. "Get a job," Ellie began. "Get and keep a good job with steady income. You have a college degree; it shouldn't be that hard."

"Find an apartment," Emily continued. "You, Logan, and me, we need a place to live. Ellie is moving to Chicago in June and I can't keep freeloading off her forever. But here's the deal. I'm willing to live with you because Logan needs both his parents, but I'm not going to marry you or be your fiancée or any of that crap. You need to deal with your alcohol issues before I'll even think about that. And I also want you to deal with your whole running from everything mentality. Logan and I, we're your family now; you need to commit to us."

"Take responsibility for your actions," Ellie added. "Pay the bills. Cook some meals. Change some diapers. Contribute; help Emily out when she needs it. Don't wait for her to ask you for help; go to her and ask her if she needs help. And for God's sake, Robert, grow up."

I guess Rob started implementing those suggestions; I don't really know. I went back to Boston two days later. I didn't see Rob again until he helped Ellie move to Chicago two months later. But this is what I do know. He got a job working for an investment firm. It took him about six or eight weeks to actually find a job, so he lived with Buzzy and Gayle until he had a job. That apparently made things a little cramped over there but in the end, it worked out.

After he got the job, Rob got an apartment. It had two bedrooms, one for him and one for Emily and Logan. Rob didn't like that setup but those were Emily's conditions. It was the only way for him to have 24/7 involvement in his son's life.

Emily also found herself a job. It was a huge step down from her old job with the Minnesota Historical Society, but it paid money and it helped her support herself. Plus it accommodated Logan. She was working as a secretary at a day-care facility. The facility took care of Logan for free and she had flexible hours. She wasn't crazy about the job, but it paid money and they worked with her life. So she lived with it.

Ellie was keeping out of trouble. She had a temporary job as a physical therapist at a hospital in St. Paul but that job ended when they found someone more permanent. Heidi was still in the care of Fiona. And Ellie and I were still talking nightly.

And what was I up to? I was living with my parents and doing odd jobs for family friends. I painted houses one week and cleaned bathrooms the next. It was a pretty low job at times, but it kept me out of trouble and in cash. My plan was to move to Chicago in June. I was going to do a summer internship with an investment firm until training camp started for the Blackhawks.

But I couldn't wait for June.

Ellie's POV

Moving is crazy. I hate moving. I absolutely detest moving, especially moving from St. Paul to Chicago. We had to pack all of my stuff and all of Heidi's stuff up and put that, plus our furniture in a truck and drive to Chicago. It took two pick-up trucks, my car, Rob, Buzzy, and me to get everything to Chicago. Then we had to drive for hours, which meant we left St. Paul at the crack of dawn and drove all day only to get there in the early evening. Okay, traveling with a thirteen-month-old slowed things down a little but still it wasn't a walk in the park.

My apartment in Chicago made my place in St. Paul look like the Taj Mahal. My old place had two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen with breakfast nook, a dining room, and a living room. My new place had a kitchen, a living/dining room, a bathroom, and a bedroom. There was no breakfast nook.

Heidi and I were cramped into one bedroom. We had a dresser, a changing table, a bed, and a crib in that room. Oh, and thankfully, there was a closet in the room. I barely had any room to move around the bedroom, so we spent as little time as was possible in there.

The kitchen was big enough to fit a stove/oven, a sink, a refrigerator, counters and cupboards, and a small table that seated four people. That afforded me great luxury in the living/dining room. In that room, we had a pullout couch, a chair, a rocking chair, a playpen, a desk, the TV, and room for Heidi and me to play. But you know what? There wasn't much space in that apartment but we were happy. Heidi and I were together, and, as sappy as this sounds that was all that mattered to us.

Jack's apartment wasn't much better. He had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living/dining room. The minute he saw my place he decided we were moving into his place after our wedding.

"I think that was a given," Buzzy said as we sat in my new apartment eating pizza and drinking soda in the living room. "Jack, there is no way they could find you in this place. They barely fit as it is."

Jack was being taken care of by the Blackhawks to a certain degree. They had paid him a signing bonus and found him the apartment. Plus they paid for him to move so he didn't have to deal with the hassle of working with the guys to get everything moved. But he still had to unpack for himself so I felt some vindication from that.

Me, I had no signing bonus. My paycheck about doubled when I moved, so that helped some, but it wasn't like having $25,000 instantly in the palm of my hand. And I had to drive down to Chicago on weekends and find my own apartment. And then I had to move myself. Thankfully, Erin, Gayle, Gabby, and Emily helped me pack. Buzzy, Jannie, Rob, Bah, and Rammer helped me load the stuff into the two trucks and my car. Buzzy and Rob drove down to Chicago with me.

"So, Rob," Buzzy asked. "How are things going with Emily?"

My brother shrugged. "We live in the same apartment, but we're on completely different planets. I don't know what she wants from me."

"Have you asked her?" Buzzy inquired.

"Nope," Rob replied. "I never really thought of that."

I swear Jack started slamming his head into the wall at that point. "I told you to talk to her," he said. "Rob, communication is the key to success in any relationship, especially yours. The breakdown of your relationship was due to lack of communication and the only way to heal this mess is to communicate with Emily. She is the mother of your child; you two need to work things out even if it's only so that you're on speaking terms for Logan's sake. Remember Logan is your son and possibly the most important person in your life right now."

"I want things to get better," Rob began. "I really do, but I'm so scared of touching Logan. I'm afraid I'm going to break him or something."

"You can't break a baby," Buzzy replied. "In fact, it's impossible to break Logan. Rob, he's ten weeks old for crying out loud."

"But he's so fragile," Rob protested.

"Babies do not break," I told him. "Rob, I'm telling you this from experience. Babies do not break."

"But what if I drop him?" Rob asked.

"Then Emily will kill you for being a stupid moron," Jack answered. "You're not going to drop Logan. I've seen you hold Heidi plenty of times and you've never dropped her. It's not like it's easy for a person of your intelligence to break a baby."

Rob was refusing to believe us. "Look, it's easy for you guys; you're naturally good with babies."

My fiancée sighed. "Rob, I'm not a natural with babies. I was scared to death the first time I held a baby in my arms. It's an acquired skill. If you keep holding Logan and you keep practicing, eventually you'll get good at it."

Rob looked like he didn't trust Jack for the world, but he reluctantly nodded. "Okay, if you say so."

My brother and Buzzy went home leaving Heidi, Jack, and I to fend for ourselves in the Windy City. I had a job and Jack's cousin, Lizzie, was babysitting Heidi while I was at work. We were all surviving but adjusting to Chicago wasn't exactly easy. I had to get up at five in the morning and be on a train at six-thirty to make it to work by seven. Lizzie had to be at my apartment by six-fifteen which meant she probably got up even earlier than I did.

Jack was busy with hockey stuff and I was trying to get used to my job. Getting settled in the apartment was a pain. I could never find anything because I was still working on unpacking. Things were still in boxes that were scattered all over the living room. We were eating canned and frozen foods. To tell the truth, I was getting sick of canned soup and TV dinners. Of course, I told Jack this and so he took me out for dinner. But due to various things including the fact that I didn't trust Lizzie with Heidi at night, we just went to a burger joint. It was fun though. We ate good food and talked. We spent time with our beautiful little princess. Oh I know Jack hadn't adopted Heidi yet, but he would after we got married.

So we ate burgers and laughed and talked. "So, any news out of your brother lately?" Jack asked at one point.

"Well, he held the baby once and then he freaked out. I can't figure it out. Why is he so scared of a little baby? It's not like Logan can hurt him or anything."

"I think he's afraid that he'll hurt Logan."

I sighed. "Yeah, well, trust me; he won't hurt Logan physically, but he is going to get kicked out of his son's life if he doesn't start holding his son and interacting with him."

"I know that," Jack replied. "But I don't think he really cares. Logan has never been his number one priority."

"Rob is Rob's number one priority," I told him. "It's the way we were raised. Our mom is an alcoholic and our dad was never around. Rob had no real male influence in his life so he ended up acting like Dad."

"But you're normal."

I laughed. "I got lucky. I grew up under the influence of the nannies and the cook. I've told you that before. That's how Jennie and Natalie ended up the way they are. Kathie has always been Mom's little pet."

"Crazy McClanahan family," Jack muttered. "You do understand that any and all time Heidi spends around your family will be monitored by yours truly. I'm not letting my little princess around them unsupervised."

"I wouldn't want her to be around them unsupervised. Emily, Natalie, and Jennie are okay, and my dad and Rob are okay sometimes, but Heidi is going to be off limits to my mom and Kathie."

"Works for me," Jack replied. "I don't want your family screwing her up."

I smiled. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

About a month later, I got a phone call from someone I never thought would call me-Kathie. "Mom's acting crazy," she sobbed into the phone. "Ellie, you've got to help me. She's smashing things and throwing stuff. And she won't stop yelling. Ellie, you've got to help. What should I do? I'm scared."

"Call Rob," I told her.

"I called him. Emily said he was at work and he wouldn't be home until late tonight." Rob was working terrible hours at his new job. It might have been financial broker, but he went to work at eight in the morning and didn't get home until nine or ten at night. He didn't like it but he needed to bring home money to take care of his family. The night he got his job that was what he told me. "I have to make some money to take care of my family."

"All right," I said, running my fingers through my hair. "Have you called Dad?"

"Natalie said he wouldn't be home until like midnight; he's working on a big case."

No one was available-typical of my family. "Okay, do you know Gayle and Buzzy Schneider's number?" I asked her.

"It's in the phone book," she answered.

"Call them and tell them what you told me. Buzzy and Gayle will do what they can to help you."

Kathie called me back about fifteen minutes later. "Buzzy and Gayle weren't home," she told me. "Now what do I do?"

I sighed. "Let me think a minute. Okay, try calling Patti Brooks and see if she can help you. If she can't, try calling Nina, Gabby, or Erin. Have whoever helps you call me and let me know what's going on. If you need me to, I'll come up there and help you."

"Okay."

Patti Brooks called me about an hour later. "Okay, Ellie," she said. "I've got some bad news for you. One of your mom's neighbors called the police about all the noise your mother was making and they arrested her for disturbing the peace. There's also something about resisting arrest and drunk driving."

"Oh man," I moaned. Mom was really in trouble now. "Have they set bail yet?"

"Your dad said he would take care of it," she replied. "But someone needs to take care of Kathie and she won't stay with your dad. She says he is pure evil or something. The woman from Social Services wants her to stay with you because she says that Rob and Emily do not have a stable home environment."

"In other words, she's going to be staying with me."

"The social worker is going to call you in the morning but I think you're right."

I sighed. "All right, well, I guess at this point all I can do is sit tight and wait it out until tomorrow morning."

The next morning, a social worker called me and asked me if I would be willing to take at least temporary custody of my sister. I agreed to do it. Well, somehow I ended up with custody of Kathie until she was eighteen. Jack and I had five years of Kathie, but she ended up growing up and it turned out to not be so bad.

A/N: Okay, well, I'm finally back. We'll see how much longer I actually stick around. I'm thinking this story will happen about three more chapters.