justlikewedo: glad you LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I have you and my other beta (who is GREAT just like you) to bounce ideas off of so YAY. Enjoy this new chapter.

csd11242: Oh it's always great to see a new reviewer! So you like goalie stories you say? well then, enjoy this next chapter!

meadow567: yes, our Jim Craig does have a good memory. Enjoy this new chapter

I'm sorry if I ruined your day

I really hope that you understand

I'm a million miles away

Looking for a place to land

Something to It- Great Big Sea

If there was one thing that Tanya didn't understand, it was that she was here, in Minnesota, alone... why? The lone candidate from Boston College. Well, you couldn't really say candidate. Although, perhaps you could... if Herb didn't like how she handled herself, he'd send her home. Even though she knew nothing about any of the Boston University boys, she knew that, through their university connections, bad blood would soon spill over.

Upon looking at the roster in her hand a few days later, she realized that indeed, Jim Craig was from Boston University. Good Lord, what would he say hearing that she was a journalism student from Boston College? Along with Mike Eruzione, Jack O'Callahan, and Dave Silk. The four of them seemed to be alright, she'd met them when Herb had introduced her to the team.

"Gentlemen, I don't think I need to tell you to behave yourselves. She is, after all, our PR agent, and I will not have any of you conducting yourselves in a manner that reflects poorly on this team."

Silence.

"Good. Now let's go, let's run it again."

She waited as the group of them broke away and half went back to the bench.

"What's he doing?" she asked Coach Patrick as they skated.

"Alright Johnson, pick it up!" Herb shouted.

"It's a drill, that's all." Coach Patrick whispered to her. "Kick it out!" he shouted across the ice.

A whistle blew, catching her attention. "Johnson! That coast to coast stuff may work here but not against the teams we'll be playing." Mark Johnson, he was from the University of Wisconsin, skated to the bench.

"Don't worry about it, keep your head up, alright?" she saw Craig whisper to Mark.

As the same drill was run again, she saw Jack O'Callahan skating... wait a minute, he wasn't after the puck...

He was after Rob McClanahan!

Closer... closer...

SMACK!

Tanya let out a scream as McClanahan crashed to the ice.

Her hands over her mouth, she ran toward the coach's room, to the payphone.

Dropping in a quarter, she dialed home.

"Allo?"

"Mama..." she started.

"So now you are coming home?"

"I think so, Mama. These men are too..."

"Uncivilized?"

"They go after each other for no reason."

"Did I not tell you? Did I not tell you you should not be around such people?"

"Yes..." she sighed. "Yes, you did tell me. I'll go to the coach and tell him that I'm resigning and coming home."

"Okay. So when I see you?"

"I don't know. Friday?"

"Okay, then. I see you Friday."

With that, Tanya hung up the phone and worked her way back up to the ice pad. As she did so she heard a cold reply of "Jack O'Callahan, Charlestown Mass. Boston University."

Reappearing, Herb looked at her and shouted to her. "Tanya, where are you from?"

"Boston College!" she yelled back.

The mouths of all the Boston University players dropped open. How could their PR agent be from Boston College of all places? Why?

"Very good, now let's run it again!"

After practice, Tanya found her way to Herb's office and knocked on the door.

"Yeah?"

"Herb, uh..."

"Come on in, Tanya," he didn't even look up from his conversation with the other person in the room. "Oh of course, we don't got a chance of winning, but don't let them know that, okay?"

"Alright," he nodded and got up. "Hey Tanya," he greeted.

"Hey Jim," she smiled as he turned to get past her.

"What brings you here, Tanya?" Herb asked as she sat down in the chair Jim had previously occupied.

"Well, um... Herb," she started. "You see, I wasn't really sure whether I should have taken this job in the first place, and um... I know I'm not strong enough to go through with this. I'm resigning," she handed him a piece of paper, "I'm going home."

Herb nodded. "Well I'm sorry to see you go, Tanya."

"It's for the best," she shook his hand and left his office. As she turned away she felt tears running down her cheeks.

"Tanya?" she heard Craig ask as she past him. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," she nodded as she raced past. "Yeah, Craig, I'm fine."

Upon reaching her dorm room, she grabbed her bag and packed her things as quickly as she could. Once packed, she grabbed her room key and made her way downstairs. Throwing the key down on the counter, she ran.

Three hours later, she was back in the airport.

"Mama!" she greeted as Natalia held out her arms.

"Hello, my girl," she smiled and hugged her daughter. "Good flight, you had?"

"Yes Mama," she answered.

"They treat you well, yes?"

"Oh yes, Mama, of course."

Natalia smiled. "I am glad you are home."

Tanya wasn't so sure. She enjoyed doing what she did, going along with the team as one of them, writing and speaking on their behalf. Of course, she hadn't really had to do any of that yet, but it was something she'd been looking forward to.

It wasn't until Christmas that she was able to persuade her mother that it would be a great oppourtunity for her to travel with the team and go to the Olympics as the US public relations agent.

It had taken endless conversations over pots of coffee and meals of borsht before Natalia had given in.

Catching a cab from the airport to the Nagobads' house, she smiled.

The house was brightly decorated with Christmas lights, the snow lightly falling to the ground. Paying the fare, she grinned as she walked up the steps and knocked on the door.

The door opened.

There stood Jim Craig, Santa suit and all.

"Tanya!"

"Hi Jim," she grinned, stepping in the doorway.

"It's good to see you," he shut the door behind her. "I thought you'd..."

"Yeah, well, I..."

He waited.

"Changed my mind." Foot in mouth, foot in mouth, she told herself. Don't tell him why you really left.

He nodded.

"Come on in, everyone's waiting to see you again."

She followed Jim into the dining room, where the team had gathered and were exchanging gifts.

"TANYA!" they all greeted her, standing up and enveloping her in a group hug.

Good to be home, she thought to herself.