Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue.

A.N- I thought about this chapter long and hard. In some ways it seemed like I was rushing things, after all Jack and Elizabeth's relationship was uncertain for so long. Yet, I came to the conclusion that it was only uncertain on Elizabeth's part, she was the only one with doubts, and once she had gotten rid of those doubts, she realized that there never had been anything really to doubt and that it had been right all along. So, that was my rational for this next part, which I mostly wrote because I could not get it out of my head. Well, that's all for now, enjoy!

Part Fifty-Three: Will You?

That night, Elizabeth stood in her room, waiting for Jack.

She was about to tell her parents, who were in the adjoining room, her decision to Boston. But she wanted to talk to Jack first, she needed him to clam her nerves.

Suddenly, there was knock on her door. Elizabeth went to answer it, knowing who it was, of course.

"Hey." She said, as she opened it.

Jack stepped into the room and pulled her into his arms. He gave her a quick kiss.

"What's up?" He asked, his arms still wrapped around her.

"I'm going to tell my parents about me going to Boston." Elizabeth told her.

"About that." Jack said, pulling away from her.

"You change your mind." Elizabeth stated numbly, feeling a huge empty pit from in her stomach.

"No." Jack assured. "Except, I don't just want you to come to Boston."

"Then what do you want?" Elizabeth demanded. "I mean, you were the one who wanted me to come with you."

"And I still do." Jack told her. "Just not like we planned. I don't want you to come to Boston as just my girlfriend."

Elizabeth couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was like something out of her worst nightmare. "What you want to break up with me, but still want me to move across the country for you?" Elizabeth demanded angrily. "What kind of an asshole are you?"

She had no idea why this was happening. She and Jack had been so happy. So what had changed? "What, did you decide this was just temporary thing after all?" She asked him, tears starting to stream down her face.

"No!" Jack exclaimed. "Liz, you aren't listening to me!"

"Because you aren't making any sense!" She yelled at him. "Do you or don't you me to go to Boston."

"I do!" Jack yelled.

"And do you or don't you want to be with me?" Elizabeth demanded, needing to know.

"Of course I want to be with you!" Jack exclaimed angrily. "What I'm trying to tell you is that I don't want you to just move to Boston and have us continue on just as we are. I want you to be my wife!"

Elizabeth froze. "What!" She couldn't believe what she had just heard--was almost afraid that she had imagined it.

Jack closed his eyes. "That wasn't how I meant to do this." He muttered.

"Why don't you try again." Elizabeth encouraged.

Jack stepped towards her and took her in his arms. He looked deep into her eyes. "Elizabeth Marie Brooks, will you do me the honour of being my wife?" He asked her.

Elizabeth paused for a moment. They were so young, were they ready for this step? Yet, even as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer.

"Yes." She told him, tears forming in her eyes. "I love you Jack O'Callahan and I can't wait to be your wife."

"I love you." Jack said and leaned down to kiss her deeply. When they pulled apart, Jack took something out of his pocket. A ring. "This was my grandmother's." He told her as he slipped it on her finger. To her amazement, it fit perfectly. Fate, perhaps. "My mom brought it with her and gave it to me, so I could give it to you."

"You told your mom you were going to propose?" Elizabeth asked, wondering how long he had been thinking about this.

"Sort of." Jack told her. "I told her how special you were and how I wanted to spend my life with you. She just decided that meant I wanted to marry you and when she met you, she was sure of it. That's when she gave me the ring and told me not to waste any time asking you. I've been carrying it around trying to find the right moment. I almost asked you the other night, but then Rizzo interrupted us, and so I waited."

"Aww." Elizabeth said and then she frowned at a sudden thought. "Are you asking me to marry you because your mom told you to?"

"Elizabeth, I love my mother, but I wouldn't make that kind of decision just because she told me to." Jack assured her. "I'm asking you to marry me because it feels right."

"Oh, Jack." Elizabeth whispered, kissing him passionately. It was a long, deep kiss.

"Do we have to go talk to your parents right away?" Jack asked huskily. "'Cause I think of way better things for us to be doing."

"As tempting as that is, we do have to go tell them." Elizabeth told him, pulling away. "Besides, my father's right in the next room, remember?"

"Damn." Jack muttered. "Sure you don't want to come back to my room? We can kick Rizzo out."

"Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Come on, it won't be that bad."

Jack made a face. "If you say so."

"I do." She told him and then pulled him towards the door that connected her room to her father's. "Come on, let's go tell my parents our big news."