Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Twenty-Four: Secrets and Lies

Robbie dropped her off a few minutes later, the rest of the side home being completed in absolute silence.

When Elizabeth came inside she saw that Patti was in the living room, waiting up for her.

Elizabeth wasn't surprised, Patti always waited up for her after her dates. Not that it had been date, she amended silently, as she turned to face her mother.

"Did you have fun?" Patti asked warmly.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know."

Most of the evening had been a lot of fun, it was the just ride home that she would have rather avoided.

"Did something happen?" Patti asked in concern.

"I spent the evening alone in the company of the boy I spent two and a half years in love with, who I spent three months desperately trying to get over, and with whom I've spent the better part of the last five months becoming friends again, what do you think?" Elizabeth asked sarcastically and immediately regretted it. "Mom, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Patti assured her. "So something happened with Robbie?"

"Not really." Elizabeth told her. "Just some old issues."

"He's a nice boy." Patti said softly.

Elizabeth smiled, her mother had always had a soft spot for Robbie, since the first time she'd brought him home. It wouldn't surprise her if Patti, like Kathleen, was holding onto some hope of the two of them getting back together.

"Dad has a no dating his players rule, remember?" Elizabeth pointed out.

"The Olympics will be over soon." Patti replied and Elizabeth could hear her joy at the prospect.

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "So?" She looked at her mother. "Dad's rules aren't the only reasons, I just don't want to go there again."

She thought about confiding in her mother about Jack and their relationship, but then decided against it. It was better that as few people as possible knew. Also, she didn't want to have to put her in a position of lying to her father and she couldn't risk Herb finding out. Not yet anyway.

"I just want you to be happy." Patti told her quietly.

Elizabeth smiled. "I know, Mom, and that's what I want too, but I don't think Robbie's the answer. Not anymore."

Patti just nodded. "Well, you know best, of course. Just follow your heart, you can't go wrong that way."
---

"What did I tell you about dating my players?" Herb demanded of Elizabeth the next morning as he walked into the living room.

She was curled up on the couch, watching the news. She looked up at him with a smile. "Good morning to you too, Dad."

"I meant it, Elizabeth, no dating any of my players." Herb told her angrily.

"I wasn't aware that I was." Elizabeth answered calmly.

"What do you call going out with Mac last night?" Herb accused.

"That wasn't a date." Elizabeth assured him. "Robbie and I are just friends, nothing else."

Herb snorted. "Tell me another one. I'm not an idiot, Elizabeth, but I refuse to watch you two go through that dance all again, not now."

"Dad, I mean it, I'm not getting back together with Robbie." Elizabeth assured her father. "And I don't intend to, not now, not ever. There's too much history there."

Herb was quiet for a long moment and then he nodded. "Make sure you keep it that way." He warned her in a low voice.

"I will." She said softly, hating the fact that she had to lie to her father, even if she was telling the truth about Robbie.
---

"So Mac now knows about you and Jack?" Kathleen asked, her green eyes wide with disbelief.

Elizabeth had headed over to Kathleen shortly after conversation with her father.

"Yep." Elizabeth told her. "And my father confronted me about Robbie."

"God, this is great." Kathleen said, shaking her head. "You're sneaking around with a guy you're father forbid you from dating--"

"One of twenty-one such guys." Elizabeth protested. "Speaking of, what's going on with you and Mark? I know you guys have seen each other a couple times since we all went out."

"We're seeing each other." Kathleen answered, shooting her a look. "And stop trying to change the subject. As I was saying, you're sneaking around behind your father's back, and now your ex-boyfriend, who's still in love with you, is aware of it and your father has accused you of sneaking around with said ex-boyfriend. It sounds pretty complicated to me, Liz."

Elizabeth laughed. "It's certainly not simple, that's for sure."

"So what are you going to do?" Kathleen asked quietly.

Elizabeth shrugged. "What can I do? Besides, it won't be that much longer, there's less than two months to go until Lake Placid."

"Do you really think you can keep this secret until then?" Kathleen asked her shrewdly. "I mean, how many people have found out by accident?"

"Three." Elizabeth admitted. "But, my father still doesn't have a clue."

Kathleen shot her a look. "For now, but secrets have a bad habit of coming out at the worst possible time. You better be prepared for that, Liz, that's all I'm saying."
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