Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Twenty-Six: Reunions

Early January, 1980

"I missed you so much." Elizabeth told Jack a few days later.

The boys were all back in Minnesota and probably grateful for the vacation. But the break was over now and things would be starting in earnest.

"I missed you too." Jack told her, pulling her onto his lap and cuddling her close to him.

The two of them were alone in his dorm. The boys had all arrived back earlier in the day, some the day before, and Elizabeth had gone to the dorms to greet them and to spend some quality time with Jack since they didn't have practice until the next day.

"How was Boston?" Elizabeth asked, turning in his lap so that she was facing him.

"Technically, I wasn't in Boston, I was in Charleston." Jack reminded her. "And it was fun, I spent time with my family, caught up with some old friends."

"Sounds good." Elizabeth told him and then looked at him with a mock-serious expression. "Did any of those friends happen to be pretty girls?"

Jack grinned at her. "There might have been a few girls, but no one who could hold a candle to you." Elizabeth blushed and Jack looked deep into her eyes. "I mean it, Liz, you're special."

"So are you." She told him, leaning in to kiss him.

The kiss deepened and when they pulled apart, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"So what did you do?" He asked, his arm tightening around her waist.

"Pretty much the same things you did." Elizabeth answered, then she sighed. "Jack, Robbie knows."

Jack stared at her. "What?"

Elizabeth winced. "Robbie, he knows about us."

"You told him?" Jack demanded. "Why?"

She took a deep breath. "It slipped out."

Elizabeth had spent a lot of time thinking it over and she had decided that she had to be totally honest with him. Honesty was something she really valued, especially in relationships. She had always been totally honest with Robbie when they were dating and she owed that to Jack as well. Even if the truth wasn't always easy to tell or hear.

"He came by the house and we ended up hanging out, going to shoot some pool." Elizabeth told him quietly. "On the way home, things got... Intense. I ended up blurting things out."

"You went out with Mac?" Jack demanded in disbelief.

"Not like that." Elizabeth defended, getting off his lap and standing up. "We went out as friends."

"But then something happened." Jack said flatly.

"Not really." Elizabeth answered tightly. "Nothing that concerns you. We were just rehashing some old business."

She wanted to be honest with Jack and she wouldn't lie to him, but as much as she valued honesty she knew that no good would come of her telling Jack that she had kissed Robbie. The kiss didn't mean anything, not really, it had more to do with the past than anything else.

Yet, as much as Elizabeht wanted to be honest with Jack and because of that, she was updront about the fact tha Robbie knew about their relationship and that she gone out with Robbie, she was not going to tell him about the kiss. He wouldn't understand and no real good would come out of him knowing. It would only cause trouble between them.

"He has feelings for you." Jack accused.

"Yes." Elizabeth said, not even bothering to deny it. "But what we were was a long time ago, Jack, or at least long enough that it doesn't really matter anymore. Robbie and I can't go back to what we had and I don't want to. I'm not in love with Robbie anymore, I'm in love with you."

Elizabeth froze as soon as she said the words. She had never said them to Jack before, nether of them had. She realized as soon as she said it, that she meant it. She did love Jack. Not the way she had loved Robbie, first love was special and couldn't be duplication. Her love for Jack was different, but just as real.

Elizabeth wasn't sure exactly what her feelings for Robbie were, she valued him as a friend and a part of her still loved him, would always love him. But at the same time, she knew she loved Jack and that this wasn't some passing thing that she'd get over. It was real.

Jack's expression softened and he pulled her back into his lap. "I love you." He told her, taking her face in his hands.

"I love you." She repeated shyly, her eyes sparkling with the knowledge.

Jack leaned in and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, yet full of deep emotion. When it was over, they just looked at one another, neither of them speaking for a long moment.

Finally, Jack sighed, "I'm sorry, I was an idiot about Mac, it's just that I know he meant a lot to you."

"Yes." Elizabeth agreed softly. "He did once and he still does, as a friend, but people change. Things change. We all have a past, Jack."

"I know." He told her, playing with her long hair. He paused and looked her straight in the eye. "Is he going to tell your father about us?"

"He says he won't and I believe him." Elizabeth said, snuggling up to Jack. "Now do we have to keep talking about Robbie? Can't you think of better things for us to be doing?"

"I certainly can." Jack agreed, flashing her that trademark cocky grin that she'd come to love and then he leaned in and kissed her.

It was a sweet kiss, but it had a touch of desperation, of possession. Those were emotions that Elizabeth wasn't sure that she was comfortable with, but she understood them.

Even though she had told Jack that she loved, she knew he was still a little bit unsure. She hated that. Almost as much as she hated the little voice in the back of her head that wondered if Jack had a reason to be unsure...

Still, she decided that right now that she wouldn't let it get to her. Everything was so complicated, but this at least was simple, or at least as simple as anything got anymore, and she wanted it to stay that way...
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