Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Sixteen: Rizzo

Early December, 1979

Elizabeth and Jack were on his bed, indulging in a heavy petting session, when there was a knock on the door and then a shout.

"Hey, O.C, you in there!"

They were brought back to Earth by the noise and pulled apart, though their bodies were still tangled together, but it was a second too late, because before Jack could call out the door opened to reveal Rizzo. He took in the scene, Elizabeth still wrapped in Jack's arms and gulped.

"Oh, boy." He quickly walked all the way into the room and closed the door behind himself so that no one else would walk in. "O.C what are you thinking?" Rizzo demanded, staring at them.

"Rizzo..."

"She's Herb's daughter and if he finds out he'll kill you!" Rizzo exclaimed in a low voice.

"That's why we're not planning on telling him." Elizabeth answered, pulling out of Jack's embrace. "I mean, Rizzo, I know my dad would freak, so we're being careful."

"You're the only one who knows." Jack told him, standing up.

Rizzo looked doubtful. "I still think this is crazy."

"Liz, I can talk to Rizzo alone for a few minutes?" Jack asked her.

Elizabeth smiled and stood up as well. "Actually, I need to be heading home, so take all the time you need."

She paused, debating what she should do, then decided to act as natural as possible. So, she leaned over and kissed Jack briefly. "I'll see you later, okay?" She asked softly.

"Okay." He agreed, giving her another quick kiss.

"Bye, Rizzo." Elizabeth said and then she ducked out of the room.

As she exited the dorms, she was silently berating herself, how stupid was she to get caught like that? She and Jack were just lucky that it was Rizzo, since Elizabeth knew that he'd keep his mouth shut.

But what if it hadn't been Rizzo? What if it had been someone else? Someone like Robbie? Elizabeth shuddered. That would have been quite the scene, she was sure.

She shook her head, it hadn't happened and there was no point in worrying about it now. She and Jack just had to be more careful from this point on.
---

When she got home, she found both of her parents pouring over paperwork at the dining room table.

A quick glance told her that her mother was doing the household finances, which due to Herb's work schedule had always been Patti's domain, while her father seemed to be studying a piece of paper.

"Come on Rizzo, why can't you find the net?" Herb mumbled to himself, putting down the paper in frustration. "I don't want to cut this kid, he's done everything I've asked." "

You're thinking about cutting Rizzo?" Elizabeth asked in disbelief, looking over her father's shoulder. "But he's the captain!"

Her father had named Rizzo as the team captain only a few weeks previously. Elizabeth had thought it was a great move, all the other guys liked and respected Rizzo and he was a great leader.

"Captains can be replaced." Herb said, looking up at her. "And he's not scoring, Liz."

"But, Rizzo, he works so hard!" Elizabeth insisted. "You just said it, he does everything you ask. He's also a great leader, the other boys rally behind him. Don't cut Rizzo, Dad."

Patti got up and turned on the television, unnoticed by either her husband or daughter.

"I have to cut someone, Liz." Herb reminded her quietly.

"I know." Elizabeth told him. "But, I just don't think it should be Rizzo."

Of all the boys on the team, Rizzo was probably her favourite, even more so than Jack or Robbie. In some ways it was odd, since she had absolutely no desire to get involved with Rizzo, but that might be the reason in itself.

She and Robbie had cleared the air, but things were still tense between them at times, and with Jack, well it was nice, but it wasn't uncomplicated, not by any stretch of the imagination.

"Herb, Elizabeth!" Patti called out, but they both ignored her.

"So who do I cut, Lizzie?" Herb asked. "If not Rizzo, then who?"

Elizabeth shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know. You have to make that decision, Dad, and it's got to be the one best for the team. I don't know who that is, but I honestly don't think it's Rizzo."

"Herb, Elizabeth!" Patti called again. "You've got to look at this."

Elizabeth turned from her father and focused her attention on the television. She paled when she heard the words 'Iran' and 'hostages'.

She exchanged a look with her father and then turned her full attention to what was being shown on the television. She listened in horror to the explanation that several Americans had been taken hostage in Iran.

It made the conversation with her father over who to cut seem pointless in comparison, even though most of the time, the team was all that she thought about it and she rarely concerned herself with what was going on in the outside world. But this was too big to ignore.
---

The next game on the team's schedule was against Harvard. The boys did well, winning easily.

Jimmy's dad had come to watch and he was the last to board the team bus, having lingered to talk to his father for a few minutes.

Elizabeth was sitting with Mike Ramsey this time, she hadn't really talked to either Rizzo or Jack since the incident at the dorm, though they both watched her pretty consistently.

As far as she knew, Rizzo hadn't told anybody about what he had walked in on, so that was good. Elizabeth knew that she needed to talk to him soon or at least talk to Jack and find out how their talk had gone, but she kept putting it off.

"Ramsey, move."

Elizabeth looked up to see her father standing in the aisle.

"Sure, coach." Mike said and he grabbed another seat.

Herb sat down in the now vacant seat beside Elizabeth.

"What's with the orders?" Elizabeth asked, a little surprised.

"Can't I just want to spend some time with my daughter?" Herb asked her.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I guess, but usually you wait until we get home, unless you have a reason otherwise. So what is it?"

"What do you think of Timmy Harrier?"

Elizabeth frowned, she knew the name--he played for the Gophers. "He's having a pretty good year, why?"

"I was thinking about bringing him in." Herb told her.

"Dad!" Elizabeth shouted and was then aware that everyone on the bus had turned to look at her.

She lowered her voice. "Why? I mean, you're not seriously going to bring in someone new this late in the game, are you?"

"I just want to try something out." He told her. "See how it goes."

Once again, for what seemed like the millionth time in the last few months, Elizabeth felt herself getting irritated with her father. Still, he was the coach, so she just shrugged and pointedly reached for her book.
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