Of Dreams and Miracles
By Misha

A.N- This is it, the final chapter. It makes me feel sad, just writing that. However, I'm not too sad, since I've already started the sequel "The Best Years of Our Lives", which will focus on Kathleen and Mark, though Jack and Elizabeth will feature prominently, of course. Still, it's hard to say good-bye to this story, since I've become very attached to it over the past year and a half that I've been writing it. This story has turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would be--225 pages, 64682 words, and 57 chapters (including prologue). Pretty impressive. The ending was hard to write and I'm not sure it flows properly, but I like it. I included the meeting with President Carters, though I know it actually happened on the Sunday night, not the Monday--this way works better for me. Well, that's all, I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I have writing it.

Special Note- I just wanted to say thank you to everyone's who read and reviewed this story, it's meant a lot to me. I want to say a special thanks to Meadow567 for her suggestions and encouragement's over the past 56 chapters.

Part Fifty-Six: Good News and Goodbyes

The next morning, all the players along with Elizabeth and Kathleen met for breakfast.

In a few hours they'd be flying back to Minnesota and from there home to various parts of the country, so this was really the last time they'd ever be together as a group. For a while at least.

Elizabeth had to admit, the thought made her sad. These boys, all of them, had come to mean so much to her over the past seven months and she wasn't sure what she was going to do without seeing them every day.

"Why do you look so sad?" Rizzo asked, seeing her expression.

She shot him a sheepish smile. "I guess, I was just thinking about how much I'm going to miss all you guys."

"We'll miss you too." Dave assured her. "In fact, you're welcome to come visit whenever you want--just leave O.C at home."

Elizabeth smiled and then laughed. "I'm afraid that won't be possible." She looked around at this group of boys who had become her family and her smile widened. She held up her left hand. "You see, Jack and I are getting married."

They had been waiting for the perfect moment to announce it, though she had told Kathleen earlier, before they had gone to meet the others.

There was a rush of noise as everyone started talking at once.

"You actually agreed to marry this clown?" Jimmy asked her with a grin.

Elizabeth nodded. "I know, silly, huh, but what can I say? I found the offer hard to resist."

"Congratulations." Pav said, giving her a quick hug. "I know you guys'll be happy together."

In the next few minutes, Elizabeth was bombarded by hugs and well wishes, while Jack got lots of warnings to be good to her.

Rob was one of the last to approach her and his eyes were sad, even though he was smiling. "Be happy." He told her quietly, giving her a big hug.

"I will be." She promised him. She reached up and cupped his face. "I believe you will be too. Someday you'll be meet that person you're supposed to be with, the person who'll make you happier than you ever thought possible, I know you will."

Rob just smiled and then moved away. He turned to Jack and smiled. "You're a lucky man."

"I know." Jack agreed, looking at Elizabeth warmly.

"Take care of her." Rob said quietly.

"I will." Jack told him seriously. "

Good." Rob said, then he leaned forward to hug Jack quickly.

Elizabeth felt tears build up in her eyes. She was glad that Rob was being so good about this, it reminded her of why she had fallen in love with him in the first place.

She turned her attention back to the conversation, which was still focused on her and Jack and leaned back to enjoy her last meal with her boys.

There was a change of plans, instead of heading straight home, they all headed to Washington because the President wanted to meet with the boys and congratulate them in person.

Elizabeth had tagged along, because the boys had insisted that she was part of it all, so she should come too. Her father had agreed. So, she went to Washington to meet President Carter. It was just an amazing ending to what had been the best experience of her life.

After meeting with the President, it was back to Minnesota and then it was good-bye.

Elizabeth stood there, not sure how to form the good-byes that had to be said. She hugged all the boys in turn, except those from Minnesota, of course, and said her good-bye words.

She knew that the good-byes weren't forever, they'd keep in touch and she planned to invite them all to her wedding that summer, but it wouldn't be the same.

"Thank you for keeping us all in line these past seven months." Suter told her, giving her a quick hug.

"No problem." Elizabeth said tearfully. "Except for the laundry, I enjoyed it."

He laughed and then moved away.

Dave was next and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'll miss you, Liz."

"I'll miss you too." She told him, giving him a hug.

"Tell O.C, he better take good care of you, or he'll answer to me." Morrow said when it was his turn.

"Keep in touch, Princess." Mark Wells instructed, giving her a tight hug and ruffling her hair.

Elizabeth smiled. "I will."

"It's been an amazing few months, hasn't it?" Pav asked with a smile.

"It has." She agreed. "You guys have come to meet a lot to me."

"And you to us." He told her warmly.

"Take care of Kathleen for me." Mark said as he gave her a hug. "Until I can convince her to come with me."

"I will." Elizabeth promised. "Though, I don't think you'll have to wait long, I have faith in you."

He grinned and then kissed her cheek. "Bye Liz."

"I'll see you when you come to Boston." Silk promised, giving her a quick hug.

"Yeah, you will." Elizabeth agreed.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to O.C." He confided with a grin.

Elizabeth smiled. "I know."

"I don't know if I'll miss your father, but I know there's one Brooks I'll definitely miss." Jimmy said with a smile.

She laughed. "I'll miss you too."

Elizabeth smiled weakly, all these good-byes were starting to get to her. Now there was only a couple left, but they were the hardest ones.

"I hate good-byes." She confided to Rizzo, hanging on to him for dear life.

"Me too." He said with a grin. "It's not forever, Liz, we'll see each other again."

"I know." She sniffed, "but it won't be the same."

"It never is," Rizzo told her, "but you knew it had to end sometime."

"Yeah," she agreed softly, "but knowing and being prepared are too very different things. I'm really going to miss you, Rizzo."

"I'll miss you too." He said, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek.

She watched him move away and then turned to only the player not from Minnesota who she had yet to say good-bye to. Jack.

Of course, it wasn't really good-bye, she'd be seeing him again in a couple of weeks and in a few short months they'd be married, but it was still hard to imagine not seeing every day, at least for a little while.

"Hey, no tears." He told her, as he took her into his arms. "It's only a few weeks, then you're coming to Boston to meet everyone, remember?"

"I know." She said, feeling silly. "We're going to talk on the phone all the time and I'll see you in a couple weeks, but I'm still going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." Jack assured her. "But it's only temporary, in a few months, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, remember that."

"I will." Elizabeth promised and leaned up to kiss him good-bye. "I love you."

"I love you." Jack assured her, giving her another quick kiss.

Then he pulled away from her and walked away.

Elizabeth watched him walk away and then she closed her eyes for a moment. She couldn't believe that it was over. It had been the best experience of her life, one she knew she'd never forget.

After all, she'd been there to witness a miracle.

The End