Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Thirty-Four: Explanations

Doc came shortly after Herb left and took Jack to the hospital for X-Rays. Elizabeth wanted to go with them, but she knew that she needed to get things settled with her father.

She waited until they got back to the hotel.

She had heard from Jimmy that he was in a terrible mood and that didn't surprise her. Between the teams dismal play, Jack's injury, and his discovery of her relationship with Jack, Herb had had one rough night.

Apparently he had taken some of that out of Jimmy, but that didn't really surprise her. In fact, Elizabeth thought that he was probably right to push Jimmy--his play that night had been terrible, his composure completely shot. They couldn't afford for that to happen again. Jimmy needed to give it 110, all the boys did.

Elizabeth waited for about an hour and then knocked on her father's door. He answered it and she could tell with just one look that he was still furious with her.

"Daddy, I'm sorry I lied to you and disobeyed you." She said, stepping into the room.

Herb didn't say anything, he just stared at her stonily.

Elizabeth thought that she might cry. She and her father had always been so close and while they had fought many times in the past, he had never looked at her with so much anger and disappointment.

"I didn't intend for it to happen like this." She told him.

"Yet it did." Herb stated flatly.

"Yeah." Elizabeth admitted. "It did. Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with Jack and he fell in love with me."

"What about Mac?" Herb demanded. "I have to admit, I never saw you and O.C coming. I would have sworn it was Mac that you were involved with."

"I know." Elizabeth said ruefully. "But I did keep telling you that I wasn't."

"Where does he come into this?" Herb asked her. "I see the way he looks at you. This is why I didn't want you involved with my team, I was afraid of this. That you'd have two of them in love with you and it would get complicated."

"It's not like that!" Elizabeth protested. "Robbie and I have a history, you know that, and maybe it's not completely dead, but it is over. He knows that as well as I do and he's accepted it, just like he's accepted the fact that I'm with Jack."

"He knows?" Herb demanded.

Elizabeth winced, not sure that she should have said that, but she nodded. "Yes. the whole teams knows, at least the players do." She wasn't sure if her father would hold it against the other players, but she hoped not.

"Though, most them have only known for a few days." Elizabeth told him. "And Robbie just found at Christmas." Herb shook his head.

"Unbelievable."

"Daddy, I'm sorry." Elizabeth whispered. Herb just stared at her. "Please, don't take your anger on me out on Jack." She begged him.

"You should know me better than that, Elizabeth." Herb told her stonily. "I'll do what's best for the team, no matter what my personal feelings are."

Elizabeth nodded and turned to go. She knew her father was still angry with her and she couldn't blame it. She had brought this on herself.

"Elizabeth!"

She whirled around. "Yes?"

"Doc and O.C are sticking around another day or so instead of going to Lake Placid with there rest of us in the morning." Herb told her quietly. "You can stay behind with them, if you'd like."

"Thank you." Elizabeth said softly, knowing how hard it was for her father to make that offer.

Herb just nodded and Elizabeth turned again and exited the room.
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