Well that didn't work as well as I thought it would as I got just one review. Although they didn't guess I do appreciate the review AznIntegra. The correct answer to who said it was Coach Bombay when he was Captain Blood during the after game sprints. Again I own nothing please enjoy the story.

Chapter 18: Forgiveness before school starts

"Um...Well...Look Dean you've made it one hundred percent painfully clear that you are mad at me and if I did that I would have to worry about the team and my brothers seeing and you know my personal life stays personal." I said.

"Did you assume I was mad at you?"

"Kinda but like I said you made it painfully obvious."

"You know...I guess I'm not so mad anymore. I think I understand it's just sometimes my temper works much faster than my head or heart."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. Listen I love you my Maverick and I don't want that to change."

"So you're forgiving me for what happened?"

"Yes baby I forgive you." He said. I glanced up and watched as he dropped his arms and walked to me. When he stopped in front of me I chanced a look at his face. His hazel eyes were soft and kind and his smile told me he cared deeply for me.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Mav." Dean answered. He stepped forward slightly and rested his hands on my shoulders.

"I do too. I shouldn't have done it and I knew that and it wasn't fair to you at all. I want to make that up to you." I answered looking back at my shoes. I could feel him griping my chin tightly but yet still firmly and pulling it back up.

"Lizzy shut up." Dean demanded.

"But I..." I started but never got to finish because his lips crashed down on mine. "Mmmm..." I moaned into the kiss.

His hands dropped down to my waist and mine traveled slowly up his stomach to his highly toned abs from there to his broad muscled chest along his strong biceps and finally along his shoulders coming to rest behind his neck pulling him closer but he pulled back out of breath. I smiled licking my lips slightly, savoring his taste.

"Did you like that?" He asked. I nodded. "Do you believe me now that I forgive you?" Again I nodded. "Was that enough for you?" He asked kissing my cheek softly. I knew our little make-out session wasn't over yet.

"Never." I replied in a low voice.

"Well then I'll just have to fix that now won't I?" He asked moving in to kiss me again.

"Not here." I whispered laying my finger against his soft lips. He gave me a confused look.

"What? I thought that's what you wanted." He said.

"Here we can be interrupted like I said. Come on I'll show you something only my dad knows about." I said moving to the door.

"But we're locked in." He tried pointing out.

"Oh Dean how little you know of my childhood." I said shaking my head and lifting a can of beans slightly. I slid the piece of broken wire coat hanger from under it and stuck it in the lock. After jiggling it around a bit I heard the lock click. "My brothers loved locking me in here so I figured how to pop the lock. I want to show you where I used to hide until I heard them tearing the house apart. I know it works on Charlie too." I replaced my handy dandy lock pick and turned the handle. "Be very quiet or else they'll hear you." I whispered taking his hand and leading him up the stairs to the third floor.

I looked down the hall and thought for a few moments. "Lets see here, 1st door office, 2nd storage, 3rd 4th and 5th guest rooms, 6th balcony, ah ha 7th door my space." I muttered. I walked to that door and pulled it open.

"It's a closet." Dean said behind me. I looked around at the toddler games on the shelves.

"Well this part yes but if you count windows on the outside third floor then do the same on the inside you come up one short inside. Everyone always figured it was a false window but now you know better. Now shut that door." I said feeling for the hidden vertical crack. Once I found it I tapped on the left side of it twice, and the wall swung backwards. I stepped out of the way letting him through. "Welcome to my safe haven." I said.

"Aside from the attic?"

"Yeah when I don't want anyone to know where I'm at I come here." He stepped to the middle of the room and I shut the door.

"It's not at all like your room was."

"Yeah my dad knew I hated the color pink but didn't want to upset Alicia so he realized there was a hidden room here. He thinks it might have been used as part of a hideout once or something so he fixed it up just the way I liked it. Sky blue walls, a black ceiling with the summer night sky painted on it, a couch, two bean bags, tons of toys, and he said he'd put a TV in here when I got older but we moved before he could do so." I explained.

"That was nice of him but I do believe we were in the middle of something."

"I believe you are right there Goose." I said walking over to him and gently pushing on his chest making him walk backwards. He hit the arm of the couch and with a final shove he fell over backwards landing on the couch.

"Mmmm feisty just how I like you." He said pulling me on top of him. I smirked and kissed his cheek. "You know I love you right?"

"Mm-hmm now hush Dean. Best guess we have about 15 minutes max before they realize we're gone."

"And I want full usage of that time." He said in a deep voice. His hand gently gripped the back of my neck pulling my lips to meet his and I complied heavily and hungrily my eyes fluttering shut as the kiss intensified. Dean's hands slid down my back to my waist pulling me flush against him. I slid my hands upwards again and let them rest on his strong broad shoulders.

"Dean," I whispered against his lips.

"Hush." He answered sliding his hands between my t-shit and sweatshirt. I pulled away only so he could lift my sweatshirt over my head and throw it to the floor.

"Thanks." I muttered as he pulled me back down.

"Would you quit talking and come back here?" He ordered gently. I smirked but did as he ordered. I slid my hands downwards and then back up under his black t-shirt. "Mmmm." He moaned in to the kiss. I began drawing small circles on his stomach and that elicited more moans from him. I smiled against his lips as he whispered "Don't stop."

"Hadn't planed on it." I answered.

"I said come back here and that's what I meant." He said moving one hand back up pressing me back against his lips and in a matter of moments his tongue was brushing my bottom lip begging for entrance. I opened my mouth and our tongues began a dance only they knew. My hands stopped and somehow he flipped us over. "You move away too much." He said as he broke the kiss and removed his t-shirt that joined my sweatshirt on the floor. I took in the sight and smirked. "What now?" He whispered.

"Nothing just thinking. Remember what my Aunt Cass said when I told her we were dating? That I said I would make you mine when I saw you at the JV/Varsity showdown last year?" He nodded. "What I actually said was 'Hey look Aunt Cass,' then I pointed to you and went on saying 'If my stupid dad ever sends me here and he's still here you can bet he will be mine.' She answered with 'because he has a nice chest?' I nodded and we dropped the subject but she was right you do have a nice chest." I said.

He blushed slightly and kissed me again almost forcing his tongue in my mouth but I didn't stop him. It was getting really passionate and I could tell we were really making up for the lost time. He broke the kiss and kissed my cheek working his way down my neck nipping and sucking occasionally. "Dean, you have to go farther down unless you want to be killed." I said tilting my head back. He took the hint and moved down to my collar bone lightly biting and sucking to leave his mark there. After he saw he was successful at it he started licking it for a bit so it didn't hurt too much. He started to move back up but I heard a voice in the hallway.

I put my finger to his lips and listened. "What do you suggest I tell Matt? His sister and Portman were locked in the pantry but somehow they got out and now we can't find them? Yeah I see that going about as well as a cat in a swimming pool." Charlie barked.

"Told ya it'd freak him out." I whispered.

"I didn't say you had to tell him anything yet Charlie I'm just saying that she's around the house somewhere. She's a really smart girl trust me. She can turn any room into a secret hiding place when she knows her brothers are looking for her. I've been with her a few times in that situation myself." Dwayne answered.

"Maybe you're right, I mean her shoes are still by the door and so is her coat so she has to be in the house but I can't help but think it's all my fault. If I hadn't locked them in the same room together she wouldn't be hiding."

"Charlie, it's not your fault we all wanted for them to make up, even me, so don't blame yourself. Let's go back to the living room see how every one else did." I smiled as they walked away. I could tell Dean was trying to hold in his laughter.

"You know we can't leave just yet." Dean said. 'Why not' I wondered. "If we leave now they can tell what we've been doing and it's none of their business." He said as if reading my mind and moved letting me sit up and sat down next to me. "I don't know what I'd do without you and Fulton."

"Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without my cousin. He's always there for me even when I don't want him to be."

"I am too."

"I know and I'm glad I can count on you too it's just no matter what Charlie does somehow it always works out for the best when it comes to me."

"Lizzy." He said a bit disappointedly.

"Listen just forget I said that. It doesn't matter anyway." I shook my head pulling my sweatshirt back on standing up. Dean grabbed my wrist and pulled me back around to face him. I looked down at him and saw a look in his eyes I couldn't describe. All I knew was that it made me feel bad. He pulled me closer to where he was sitting so I was standing straddling his legs. He tugged on my arm gently and made me sit on his lap. I sighed and ran my hand through his hair then down his chest coming to rest on my leg.

"Lizzy I love you to death and I'm really sorry for responding so badly to what happened. I just want to put that behind us and not bring it up again." He said running his hand up and down my arm stopping to play with the end of my hair.

"What if it does get brought up again?" I asked playing with the hem of my shirt and avoiding his gaze.

"I can't promise you it won't but I'll try not to bring it up again." I nodded and he sighed. "Please look at me Mav. Talk to me, tell me what's going through your pretty head."

"I don't know I guess I'm still scared." I whispered. He wrapped his arms around me and leaned me against his still bare chest.

"Listen Mav you are my sweet, sweet baby and I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'll protect you the best I can."

"What about when I need protection from you?"

"I hope I can count of Fulton for that. The two of us earned our nicknames 'the bash brothers' because of how we are on the ice." He paused "but it's more than that. We really are like brothers. I know now at least that I fully trust him and he fully trusts me. You said yourself you were Fulton's best friend first and I know I can never come between the two of you and he would be the only one I would alienate if I hurt you. He can't play both sides or the middle so he would try to stay out of it. He's like a brother to you and you know he's protective of you. I know that too and I don't want to change that. It's a good thing that to get to you people have to go through not only Charlie but also Fulton." I looked up and smiled as a door slammed down stairs.

"Thanks Dean." I said kissing him lightly. "We should get going that door slam sounded a lot like Matt's door slam. Which means if he's home we need to get back downstairs because he's bound to ask for me and Charlie has no clue where I am." I said standing and handing him his shirt. I ran my hands through my hair a few times and fixed my clothes. Then I looked at Dean. "I can take you absolutely no where can I?" He shrugged.

I sighed running my hands through his hair fixing it just right. Then I looked at his shirt and decided that it was fine so I led him out into the closet. I squeezed between him and the wall so I could shut the hidden door. There was a string attached to the back of the door that let me pull it shut all the way and after I did that I laid the string across the shelf along the wall so that no one could see there was a string sticking out of the wall.

"Crack the door carefully and look both ways." I said.

"Coasts clear." He answered. "I feel like a spy." We walked down the front stairs and paused about six steps up and looked over the railing seeing the entire team in the living room. Of course my brothers were there too and Russ was the first to look up.

"Hey I found them." He said.

"Were they lost?" Matt asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Uhh no." Charlie answered.

"Want to try that answer again Charlie?" Chris asked.

"Well you see..." Charlie stammered.

"Did it work?" Russ asked.

"Did what work?" I responded.

"You're not mad at each other anymore are you?" Fulton asked. I knew he thought he was treading dangerous waters and he had to be careful.

"Charlie you didn't." Matt scolded.

"Well describe exactly what I didn't do." Charlie answered.

"He did." Ben answered. I saw Guy look over at Averman and they both shrugged.

"He did." Fulton said.

"Charlie." Matt said again.

"But it worked." I jumped in.

"So it did work." Russ said.

"It started a domino effect." I said.

"So then your not." Fulton said again. I could tell Dean was rolling his eyes behind me. He spun me around, picked me up off my feet and kissed me hard on the lips. Then he set me back down and I looked over at Fulton.

"It worked. And Russ...Thanks." I said. He nodded.

A lot of the team looked confused. "What exactly happened?" Julie asked looking over at Connie.

"Don't look at me I don't know." Connie answered.

"Anybody know?" Luis asked. My brothers, Fulton, Dean, Charlie, Russ, and I raised our hands. "All I got out of that was that they weren't fighting any more."

"I could never figure out how you got out of there." Chris said.

"Out of where?" Kenny asked as Dean and I came further into the living room and sat down on the couch.

"From the time I was about 5 my brothers thought I had what they called A.L.S.S. annoying little sister syndrome. Matt decided one day how to fix it. The pantry in our kitchen is the only room in the house with the lock on the outside so usually they stuffed me in there and they could go about the day as they pleased until they figured I wasn't being annoying anymore and they'd let me out. After being locked in there a few times I realized I didn't like being that bored so I found a way to get out then I would go find somewhere to hide out until they freaked out about me being gone. Charlie and Russ decided to take the situation between me and Dean into their own hands and locked me in there with Dean until they thought we had figured it out and fixed it. It worked and then I got out again and hid until he freaked out and I heard Matt come in." I explained.

"So what were you doing while you were hiding?" Connie asked.

"Ab-so-lute-ly pos-o-tive-ly none of your business. " I answered.

"Ohhh that makes sense." Connie and Julie said exchanging glances. Adam rolled his eyes and smirked at Fulton.

"I did not need to know that." Fulton whined.

"Oh come on you know you love me Fult." I said.

"Sometimes I absolutely resent letting him date you." Fulton replied rolling his eyes.

"Oh Fulton." I shook my head.

"Why does he get away with it and I get scolded for doing something like that?" Charlie asked.

"Because dip face you're my cousin and it's expected of you, he's just my best friend and it ain't expected from him. That's why it feels nice when I know he's protecting me." I answered.

"Smart ass." Charlie muttered.

"Stop referring to my sister's ass." Matt stated firmly. Charlie sighed but nodded.

The next day, Monday Jan. 3rd, I was on my way back to the airport with just Aaron. We were standing at the gate when he took my hand. "When will I see you again?" He asked.

"Spring break maybe sooner if you come up for a game or two."

"I wish I could Juliet but you know once the season starts I'll be busy too." I had forgotten Aaron also played baseball.

"I know and I wish you could see me play. I'm on an all guy team this year, they finally conceded to putting me on a baseball team."

"I know I'll miss you." He said.

"Hey do me a favor. Promise me no matter how busy you get you won't be too busy to talk to me before bed if I call." I said.

"I promise Juliet. Promise me too."

"I promise my dear Romeo. I'll miss you so much." I said. He drew me into a tight hug.

"I have to go." He whispered.

"I know bye Aaron."

"Bye Lizzy." He answered letting me go and turning to get on his plane. Just as he reached the door to the hallway that led to the plane he turned and waved. I waved back and stood watching as he disappeared. I stood around a little longer and they shut the door. I sighed and walked back to my car. When I got back to the house I noticed my brother's were loading their bags into the bed of Ben's truck.

"Where are you...?" I started.

"Don't be selfish Lizzy." Matt told me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's the 3rd baby, our classes start tomorrow we have to get going back." Ben said.

"But...but...but...it feels like we haven't spent any time together at all this break." I complained.

"Don't worry Fire-arm, we understand. You had Matt and Aaron up here we understand you wanted to talk to them more." Chris said resting his hands on my shoulders.

"But..." I tried.

"Sorry baby, I know you wanted to spend time with us but there were more important things going on. Here are our new schedules; we'll see you in May sometime." Ben said handing me a sheet of paper.

"May?" I asked flabbergasted.

"Yeah May, we want to come up to see you play sometime but the coach is starting training sooner and our season doesn't end till May. Maybe...and this is a huge maybe, maybe if our spring break isn't the same time as yours and we don't have a game that week we'll come up to see you play. Don't worry please Lizzy." Chris ordered. I nodded and they both hugged me.

"We love you Lizzy, don't forget that." Ben said climbing in the driver's seat as Charlie came out. I leaned back against Matt as Ben started the engine. Charlie stood next to us and Matt wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"Why didn't Chris drive?" Charlie asked.

"Because last time I checked Chris had a tiny Volvo and he won't drive a truck under any circumstances." I answered.

"Oh." Charlie said before pulling me inside. I sighed and followed. Not much happened the rest of the day.

The next day I was driving Fulton, Dean, Kenny, and Luis back to school while Russ, Julie, and Dwayne were riding with Matt and our stuff was split between the two trunks. After we unloaded everything Matt and I went to see the Dean.

"Hello what can I do for you?" His secretary asked.

"My name is ER Jacobs and this is my brother Matt. We were wondering if we could speak to the Dean." I said as politely as I could.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No but..."

"I'm sorry but without an appointment the Dean won't be able to see you."

"But..."

"No buts Ms. Jacobs. I'm sorry but Dean Buckley is a very busy man and without an appointment he won't see you."

"Ma'am, just do me the favor and tell Dean Buckley Matt Jacobs needs to discuss something of a very important matter with him." Matt said.

"That won't change his mind." She said. "But I know your sister is very persistent person and she won't give in until she's exhausted every possibility. I'll go talk with the Dean."

I smiled at Matt who just nodded in return. "How do you know Dean Buckley?" I asked.

"Dad had to come bail Seth out once and I met up with both of them; not to mention I got him out of a slightly tight spot with Coach Wilson and Tom Riley." Matt said. The secretary came back and looked at the both of us.

"He'll see you now but you have to make it short he has a meeting to attend to shortly." The secretary said. We got up and walked into the Dean's office. He motioned for us to sit down and we did.

"Matt nice to see you again and Ms. Jacobs what can I do for you?" The Dean asked.

"It's nice to see you again too, and I hope my little sister's not giving you too much trouble."

"Not anymore than Seth ever did, it's that boyfriend of her's that's the trouble maker. Well that and his team captain."

"Ah Dean Portman and my cousin Charlie Conway."

"Charlie's your cousin?"

"Yeah his mom is our dad's sister but that's not what we're here to discuss."

"Exactly, the use of the hockey rink. I know the coaches are strict about their practices but what about when they're not practicing or playing a game? Can anyone use the ice or is it just for hockey practices?" I asked.

He sat back and thought for a moment. "Ms. Jacobs there are reasons why we have an ice rink at this school. Our hockey teams are ranked best in the state. I don't want anyone ruining that."

"That's not what I'm asking. I used to play hockey when I was younger and I still know how to skate and treat the ice. I'm not going to do anything on the ice that Charlie or Connie wouldn't do." I explained.

"That's good to know and I stand strictly against anyone other than a hockey player using the ice rink there is nothing in the rule book that specifically states someone else can't use it. I guess there won't be a problem as long as you don't skip class to use it and you don't interfere with practices or games."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"So it would be ok if I skated on it?"

"Certainly as long as you aren't breaking either of the conditions I've just mentioned."

"Thank you sir." I said.

"Yes, consider us even now Dean." Matt said standing. I stood up also and we both shook hands with the Dean and then left. After a slightly teary good bye and a strict promise to keep in touch Matt left.

That's all for this chapter and thank you for reading. Next time ER gets caught showing off, she gets upset, she meets Linda, and she meets up with someone she hasn't seen in a while. As for who you'll just have to wait and see. Tune in next time.