Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

Part Fifty: When It's Right

"We did it!" Jack told her later that night, still awe-struck. "We actually beat the Soviets!"

"You did." Elizabeth agreed happily. "But you haven't won the gold yet, you still have one more game to go."

"We'll do it." Jack said confidently. "We made it this far, didn't we?"

"Yeah, you did." Elizabeth agreed happily. She leaned against him. "You did pretty good today."

"Thanks." Jack told her, leaning down to kiss her. The two of them were in his room, all by themselves. Rizzo was off somewhere else.

"Where's Rizzo?" Elizabeth asked when the kiss was finished. She had met up with Jack after the game was over, but she hadn't seen Rizzo since they had gotten off of the ice.

"Out somewhere with some of the other guys." Jack told her. "I wanted to celebrate alone with you, instead of with everyone else."

"Yeah, me too." Elizabeth told him.

Yes, this was a team thing and it was wonderful, but they had time to celebrate together. They'd celebrate on Sunday when they finished the last game. But tonight, she just wanted me to be with Jack and celebrate this amazing thing they had done.

"He'd knock before he came in, right?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"Oh, yeah." Jack assured her with grin. "He always knocks now. Even when he knows there's no Earthly way you could be here. He's terrified of walking in on us again."

Elizabeth giggled. "Poor Rizzo."

"Poor Rizzo? Poor me. I'm the one who keeps having my time with my girl interrupted." Jack complained.

"Poor baby." Elizabeth said, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Let me make that up to you."

She leaned in and kissed him deeply. The kiss grew deeper and deeper, until Jack pushed her backwards onto the bed, so that he was lying on top of her.

Elizabeth stilled and pulled away from him slightly, though she was still laying partially under him.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, pushing himself up.

"Are you sure Rizzo's not going to walk in the door any minute?" She asked quietly.

"Baby, we just beat the Soviets, I think he's going to be celebrating for a while." Jack assured her. "Why?"

"Because it would really suck if we interrupted." Elizabeth told him, pulling him towards her once more.

Their lips met in another deep, passionate kiss. Jack's hands slipped under her shirts, as his body pressed down on hers.

Jack broke the kiss after a minute and began trailing kisses down her neck and shoulders. Elizabeth began to pull at Jack's t-shirt, pushing it over his head. She ran her hands up and down his bare back.

Jack rolled away from her slightly, so that he could lift her t-shirt up over her head. Elizabeth didn't protest, nor did she complain when Jack undid the clasp of her lacy white bra. Instead, she just drew him to her for another deep, passionate kiss.

Jack pulled away and looked her deep in her eyes. "Do you want me to stop?"

They had gotten a little past the point where she usually called a halt to things, so she understood the question. Elizabeth loved Jack for asking, for wanting to make 100 certain that this was what she wanted. That made her even more sure that she was ready.

"No." She told him clearly. "Don't stop."

"Are you sure?" He asked asked her, obviously wanting to be sure.

Elizabeth nodded, her eyes shining. "Make love with me, Jack." She told him clearly, kissing him once more.
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Afterward, she lay cradled in his arms.

"That was amazing." Jack told her, kissing her shoulder. "You were amazing."

"So were you." Elizabeth said with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." He said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Does this mean you're coming to Boston with me?" He asked her hopefully.

Elizabeth paused, considering that answer.

Did it mean that? Making love with Jack had been a fairly impulsive decision. It had just felt right, like that moment had been the one she had been waiting for. She hadn't put a lot of thought into it or what it meant for her and Jack.

But having taken that step, how could she refuse to go to Boston? Did she even want to? She loved Jack more than anything and she knew that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

At that moment, Elizabeth knew there was really only one answer to his question. She was still scared about moving so far away from everything she knew, afraid of leaving her family and friends, but she she knew she'd be okay as long as Jack was here. Besides, she didn't want to be in Minnesota without him. Wherever he was, was where she wanted to be.

"Yes." Elizabeth told him quietly. "I'll go anywhere with you, Jack O'Callahan."

Jack grinned and leaned over to kiss her deeply. The kiss started to grow deep just as they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

The two of them pulled apart.

"O.C, Liz, you decent in there?" Rizzo called from the other side of the door.

"Damn." Jack muttered.

Elizabeth smiled and got out of the bed. "Just a minute Rizzo!" She called out.

She grabbed her clothes from the floor and tossed Jack's at him. "This can wait." She told him as she quickly got dressed.

Jack didn't look happy about the interruption, but he got dressed as well. "Come in Rizzo!" He called once they were both decent.

Rizzo entered, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry to interrupt." He apologized awkwardly.

"It's okay." Elizabeth told him. "I should be getting back to my own room anyway."

"You sure?" Rizzo asked her. "I mean, I can crash with one of the guys, if you guys want."

Elizabeth was tempted to take him up on his offer, but she knew she better not.

"No." Elizabeth told him. "I think my father would kill all three of us."

It also wouldn't be the best way to get Herb to accept her relationship with Jack, which Elizabeth desperately wanted. Especially now that she had committed to going to Boston with him. Herb wasn't going to like it, she knew that, and she didn't want to set him off even more by openly sleeping with Jack.

"He probably would." Jack agreed reluctantly. "I think it would be worth it, though."

"Speak for yourself." Rizzo told him. "I mean, you get time alone with a beautiful girl, what would I get out of it?"

"My everlasting gratitude?" Jack said hopefully.

Rizzo laughed. "Sorry man."

Jack shot him a mock-pout and Elizabeth laughed. "Ah, poor baby. Anyway, I should leave now." She leaned over and kissed Jack briefly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Jack said reluctantly.

Elizabeth smiled and turned to go, smiling at Rizzo before she did. "Goodnight Rizzo."

"Night, Liz." He said with a smile.

With that Elizabeth left the room.

Once she was back in her own room, she smiled, happy with the state of her life. The boys had beat the Soviets and were one game away from an Olympic gold medal and she and Jack had made serious plans for their future together.

Elizabeth knew that she had a lot to do, she had to apply to Boston University, had to prepare her parents and make all the plans for her move.

If she even ended up going to Boston, there was no guarantee that that was where Jack would end up and wherever he went, she would be with him.

So maybe it would be best to put off school for a little while longer, she could think of something else to do, she was sure. She definitely wanted to finish her degree, but it wasn't a major priority for her.

Still, no matter how she wanted to, Elizabeth knew that she couldn't go to Boston right away. It would take time to get everything settled and arranged, but she was sure that Jack would be okay with that. After all, he knew that she would be coming, just not right away. He'd be impatient, she was sure, but she also knew that it would be worth the way.

Now that she had made her decision, Elizabeth knew that it was the right one. This man, this choice, they were both right for her.

She just hoped she could make her parents, rather her father, understand that.
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