Disclaimer: After 27 disclaimers, I think it's pretty clear: I. Do. Not. Own. Big. Time. Rush.

darthvader1808: All very true. Yeah, everyone seems to. Thank you for taking the time to read and review, I really appreciate it :)

bubblegum pop: Thanks! Haha thanks :P It's not that my updating is getting better, it's just that I've been focusing more on this story. Thank you for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it :)

person: We'll see ;) And a lot of people seem to be hoping for that. Thank you for your reading and for reviewing twice! I'm sorry for the wait, but I hope you like this chapter :)

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A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, or reviewed this story! You guys seriously rock!

So, a couple of things to say. First, if you guys go back and reread chapter 27, you might notice a few small changes to it. I said in the A/N that I really didn't know much about hockey or sprained ankles, and UnpublishedWRITTER was awesome enough to give me some information on both, so hopefully the chapter is a little bit better. I didn't go into much detail about either, but I'm hoping it's enough. Second...holy cow, guys! This story topped 400 reviews! That's effing insane! Also, this is my longest story so far chapter-wise, so that's kinda crazy as well.

Okay, so this is the last chapter, not counting the epilogue. There's a scene in this chapter that I've been planning since the very beginning of this story, and it kept getting pushed back and I don't want to say what it is, but it's in the beginning so...yeah. I also want to say that the city council scene is not accurate. Putting in a huge, long city council meeting would be boring to read, so I decided to just make it short and sweet, so we'll just say that it's a very informal city council.

Warnings: Language, innuendos, and mild sexual content.

Enjoy the chapter :)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Break the Ice

James' POV

I managed to awkwardly unlock my car and gently set Katie in the front passenger's seat. She rolled her eyes at me. "I am capable of moving by myself, you know."

"I'm aware," I replied, closing the door behind her and walking around to get in on the other side. "But," I continued on as I slid into the driver's seat, "we don't need your ankle getting any more screwed up."

"And we don't need your shoulder getting any more screwed up," she tossed back.

"For all we know, my shoulder might just be bruised."

"As long as that's all…" She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing her bangs out of her face.

I started the car, we buckled up, and I drove us back to my place. Once I was parked in the driveway, I climbed out and opened Katie's door for her, helping her to her feet. She braced herself against me and we slowly made our way up to my front porch. I got my front door open and we headed inside, with me closing and locking the door behind us.

"Can you climb stairs?" I asked her and she paused, before shaking her head.

"I don't think so."

"Okay. Don't get mad at me." I picked her up again and carried her up the stairs, fumbling with the landing light before the second story hall was flooded with what looked like a blazing sun after being in the dark for the past twenty minutes.

Katie and I both blinked in the brightness for a few seconds before I started moving again, down the hall to my room.

Once we were inside my inner sanctum, I set Katie on the bed and hurried into my bathroom to grab the different medicines I thought I might need.

She was waiting for me, massaging her ankle through the splint. "You get the stuff?"

"Yep." I dumped it out on the bed. "How's your ankle?"

"It's managing. It'll probably hurt like hell tomorrow. Anyway…" she eyed the stuff before carefully choosing a couple of tubes of ointment. "Okay, take off your shirt."

"I – what?"

"Take. Off. Your. Shirt."

"I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable that…"

She shook an ointment tube threateningly. "I've seen you shirtless. You were shirtless the one time in the back of your car at the drive-in."

"I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with being shirtless when we're not making out…"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Just take off the damn shirt."

"Bossy, bossy." I lifted my shirt up and over my head, tossing it to the side.

She flipped the tube's cap open with her thumb and squirted some of the ointment into her palm, before crawling around to my right side, massaging the cream into my shoulder.

Oh…oh…oooh…that was nice…

I let out a small moan as she switched to another tube of cream, rubbing that into my sore muscles as well.

"Feel good?" she smirked.

"Uh huh…"

"Muscles loosening up?"

"Oh yeah…"

"Good." She capped the tube of ointment again and gingerly got to her feet, visibly putting more of her weight on her left foot. "I'll take these back into the bathroom."

"You don't have to, I can."

"You should just sit there and let the stuff dry. I can hop, remember?"

"I'd rather not…"

She smacked my chest and I cracked up, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to me. She collapsed on the bed beside me, looking up at me. I looked back at her, my breath catching at the vulnerable yet hopeful look in her eyes.

With an all too easy movement, I leaned down, pressing my lips to hers. She kissed me back at once, reaching up to cup my face with both hands as she deepened the kiss. I responded just as eagerly, shifting so that I was hovering over her, her legs winding around my waist. I groaned, pushing closer and nipping at her lip a little harder than intended. She didn't seem to mind, though. Instead she just let out a helpless little whine and bit back at me, her fingers sliding up my back and to my neck, gripping fistfuls of my hair. I gasped, and she took the opportunity to force her tongue into my mouth.

This wasn't exactly talking, but I wasn't about to complain.

I finally pulled back and instead kissed my way down her neck, pausing to suck and nip at her pulse point. She whimpered, arching up as I moved down to her collarbone and below, pausing disparagingly at the collar of her shirt.

"So, uh, we're together now, aren't we?" she gasped out.

"Fucking hell if we're not," I replied, nipping just above her shirt.

And then the front door opened and slammed shut.

We both sat up, eyes wide. They couldn't be back already…could they?

There were voices downstairs, and then footsteps on the stairs. Katie grabbed one of the ointment tubes she hadn't used yet and positioned herself on my right side, slowly rubbing the cream into my shoulder. Not five seconds later, there was a light tap on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I called, and Mom poked her head in, Shane sliding his body halfway in through the doorway to smirk at us.

"How's your shoulder, sweetie?"

"It's doing better. Feels a lot better."

"I bet it does," Shane snickered.

Mom rolled her eyes before saying, "Just don't overwork your shoulder, okay? We don't need it getting any worse."

"It's just a bruise," I protested.

She raised an eyebrow at me and I pursed my lips. No arguing with her tonight.

"Be careful," she said to me. "Injured shoulders aren't any fun, and that guy hit you hard. Plus, you should probably do something with your neck, it had a rough night as well."

"So go easy on him," Shane said to Katie, who promptly flipped him off.

"Mom! Your older son's girlfriend just flipped me off!"

"Did she? I didn't see," Mom said calmly and I smirked a little at Shane's sputtered protests. "So, we're heading back out. I just wanted to make sure everything was going okay. Katie, you're welcome to stay the night. I can swing by your house and pick up a change of clothing for you if you want."

Katie bit her lip, looking sideways at me.

"Mom…we're together. Officially together," I said slowly.

"Honey? You're not going to be having sex with that shoulder."

Shane lost it, sliding to the floor as tears of laughter streamed down his face. "This is so much better than pay-per-view."

"Mom!" I yelped.

"What? It's true."

"There is more than one position, you know."

"But the most common one for virgins is missionary style, which requires you to be on top."

Shane's laughter died away. "Are we seriously talking about in what position James is going to lose his virginity?"

I groaned, slumping onto my back and grabbing a pillow, covering my face with it.

"Believe me," Katie said. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"So you'll stay the night?"

Katie grabbed the pillow, trying to pull it away from me. "Yeah, sure. James, let go of the pillow."

"Nah uh," I said into the fabric, my voice muffled.

"Uh huh. You're going to suffocate yourself."

"After that conversation, it sounds like a really good idea."

"Good luck keeping him from suffocating," Mom told Katie. I heard the soft padding of her high heels on the carpet, and a moment later I felt her lips brush against the top of my head. "We'll see you two in a couple of hours. Come on, Shane. Oh, stop looking so horrified. You're going to need to save some of that for tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," Shane grumbled. My bedroom door closed and I let the pillow drop. They were gone.

Katie smirked at me. "So, uh, which position did you have in mind?"

"Shut up," I whined. "We're never mentioning that conversation ever again. I'm pretty sure my mind is permanently scarred now."

"I can distract you from that," she suggested, running her hands up along my chest and down to my abs.

"Can you?" I raised an eyebrow at her.

Her smirk just widened, and she straddled me, holding me down. She stretched her body out, nipping along my neck and jaw, occasionally brushing her lips against mine. I whined as she made her way back down the opposite side of my neck, fingers moving my upper body and heading towards the waistband of my jeans. She slid one finger, and then two, into the waistband, now kissing and biting and sucking her way over my pecs.

"Katie – "

"Nah uh. I'm in control. Consider it a cleansing."

"A – what? Why?"

"Because I'm getting rid of all the Lauren-germs on you."

"I doubt there's any left. It's not like we ever got past making out."

"So she was lying," Katie mumbled. "Lying bitch."

"What – holy fuck!" She had rutted her hips into mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. She smirked and repeated it, before undoing my jeans, fumbling a bit but still managing to get them off. She yanked them down and I kicked them off. Keeping her eyes locked on mine, she lifted the hem of her shirt, tugging it up and over and tossing it to the side.

I swallowed, eyes roaming over her upper body. Yeah, okay. I could totally get used to this.

"How's your – um – ankle?" I managed to get out as she unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans.

"It's in a splint and I'm not actually putting any pressure on it."

"Okay," I managed to get out, watching her shimmy out of her jeans before realigning us. She kissed me again and I kissed her back, pulling her closer. She sighed against my lips, almost curling into my embrace.

At last, she pulled back and wiggled her hips slightly. "Is that your phone, or are you just happy to see me?"

"Did you seriously just use that line?"

"I seriously just did." She slid down a little, and instead traced me through my boxers. I shuddered at the touch, fighting back a gasp.

"How far – how far are you comfortable with?" I somehow got out of my mouth as she palmed me.

"In all honesty? You could probably fuck me and I'd be totally fine with it," she admitted. "But since we're both injured, it's probably not the best idea."

"Probably not," I agreed, albeit a little reluctantly.

She laughed, pecking my lips. "It'll happen. You know it will. We have too much sexual tension not to resolve it."

"True." I rolled us over so that I was on top and she blinked up at me, startled.

"What about your shoulder?"

"I think it can hold up for a little while." And I kissed her again.

"Mmm…kay." She wrapped her arms around my neck, deepening the kiss.

When Mom, Shane, and Brad finally returned, Katie was passed out beside me, still in her bra and panties. Our undergarments had never actually come off, both of us agreeing that the second they did, we'd end up going further than what was smart at this point in time. But that's not to say things didn't get…interesting. Dry humping until finish definitely made up for the shitty day we'd both had.

I heard the front door open and close and slid out of bed, grabbing my jeans off the floor and pulling them on, before slipping my t-shirt on as well. I quietly left my room, heading downstairs.

Mom smiled at me when she saw me. "Hi, sweetie. How's your shoulder?"

"About the same. Did you get Katie's stuff?"

"I did." She passed me a backpack. "How was your night? Or do I not want to know?"

I bit my lip. "You probably don't want to know."

"Then I'm definitely not going to ask. Your dad's coming over at around ten tomorrow. I'm just going to make breakfast so that we don't have to go anywhere public with him. Katie's more than welcome to stay – Kyle's coming over to support Shane."

"Is Shane – ?" I looked around at him questioningly.

Shane nodded. "I'm going to tell Dad that I'm gay. He probably isn't going to accept it, but whatever. I can't change it."

I nodded as well. "Just don't worry too much about it."

"I won't."

"Is Katie asleep?" Mom wanted to know.

"She is. I'm going to head back upstairs."

"Okay."

"We still have some things to talk about…" Sighing, I made my way back up to my room. I dropped the backpack on the floor, closed my door, and stripped back down to my boxers, crawling back into bed with Katie. She stirred, slowly opening her eyes.

I gave her a small smile. "Hey."

She smiled back. "Hey."

"Mom and Shane and Brad are home. They got your stuff."

"Okay, awesome."

"And my dad's coming over for breakfast tomorrow. You can stay though, if you want to. Kyle's coming over to support Shane. Shane's going to tell him about his sexual orientation."

"Oh, wow…How do you think your dad's going to take it?"

"Not well, but that's life. Anyway…We never really actually talked."

"That's because you were mauling me."

"Touché."

"But we do need to talk," she said softly.

"We do."

"Well, you know where I stand. I really do want a relationship with you. I know I've fucked things up, but…"

"I haven't helped, though," I pointed out. "Getting together with a girl who I barely knew was not my smartest move."

"Yeah, you were kind of a dumbass."

"Gee, thanks."

"What? It's true. And even once you figured out she was a bitch, you still didn't break up with her."

"Yeah, okay, not my finest hour. My point was, we've both fucked up. We're teenagers, it's bound to happen. And I want to be with you."

"Good. Because I want to be with you. It's all I've wanted since I saw you in PE your first day at school."

"Are you fucking serious? You were such a bitch to me in chem.!"

"Well, duh. It wasn't like I was going to let on that I thought you were hot. And I was really trying to ignore the fact that I was into you. I didn't even know you and I wanted you. It drove me crazy."

"The feeling was mutual," I assured her. "I wanted you so fucking bad. I couldn't stand you, but I wanted you."

She nodded silently.

"I can actually stand you now, though," I continued on. "Now that I know you're not all bitch."

"Wow, thanks. You really know how to make a girl feel special."

"Sorry. It's odd, but I almost like your bitchiness…"

"Maybe it's a kink."

"I think it's just because it's part of you."

She looked over at me. "Really?"

"Yeah. Just as long as the bitchiness isn't aimed at me, we're good."

"Good to know."

"Go out with me?"

A smile slowly crossed her face. "Yeah, definitely."

"Okay." And I kissed her. Before I could get too far into it, however, a thought crossed my mind and I pulled back. "But…I got hurt tonight. You said you didn't want to get attached to a hockey player because of how badly they can get hurt."

"Well, today proved that ice skaters can get hurt just as badly as hockey players. I don't…When I saw the guys ram into you like that, it scared me out of my mind. And I hate it. I hate that as long as you and Kendall are playing hockey, I'm going to be prone to mini heart attacks. I'm going to have to watch you guys get hurt. And I don't know how well I'm going to be able to handle it. But I am going to try. I like you too much to let hockey get in the way."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Besides, hockey isn't your everything the way it is Kendall's and the way it was Dad's. And thank goodness for that. At least I know that if you get hurt and for whatever reason can't play hockey anymore, I'm not going to be pushed away."

"Never," I promised her and she smiled again.

"Good."

The night passed quickly, with Katie and me alternating between fooling around under the covers and actually sleeping. At one point, around two in the morning after we'd finished another round, I ended up sneaking downstairs to grab a bag of chips and a couple bottles of water. We ate hungrily, finishing the bag quickly. Katie laid back down, stretching out.

"Katie?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you – you're going to continue ice skating, right?"

"Why?"

"Shane said earlier that you might not continue…"

She bit her lip. "I'm going to continue through high school. But…I just don't see myself heading for the Olympics. It's not in the cards for me."

"Why not?" I tossed the empty bag in the trash and lied down beside her, one of my arms snaking around her waist so that I was holding her against me. "You love ice skating."

"James…You know why I started ice skating in the first place?"

"No…"

"Kendall wanted to play hockey in elementary school. It was an after school sport, and my parents were both working at the time. There were a few other boys on the team who went to our school, so their moms could pick Kendall up once school ended and could drop him and the other boys off at the town's rink. It was an easy after-school-daycare, a pretty simple solution for my parents. There was a problem, however. Me. I didn't want to play hockey, so my parents signed me up for skating lessons, since a few of the other girls in my class – Jo, Camille, and Stephanie – were taking them as well. I had enough talent that my coach at the time decided it would be an excellent idea for me to begin competing, and my parents agreed. No one ever asked me. I was just told, Oh, you're going to compete now, you're going to go to this city on Saturday and win a really big trophy. Or, you're going to have to give up your weekend to practice for an upcoming competition. I was eight years old, and my parents were turning into stage parents. I enjoyed ice skating, I really did, but it became my life.

"My coach only taught elementary school kids, so once I hit middle school, my parents had to find a new coach. My dad wanted the best, and to him the best was the most expensive. He and my mom had just divorced, and he knew she didn't want Sarah, so just to spite her, he hired her. And then I never really had a free moment outside of ice skating and school. Luckily, my friends were also ice skaters, so at least I wasn't alone. But that was it. I wasn't even really looking at boys. Sarah had drilled it into my head that ice skating came first, ice skating was life, and a part of me must have believed her. So when you showed up, it completely shook me because suddenly there was something outside of ice skating, something that I wanted and couldn't have because you were a hockey player. It didn't help that Sarah had gone out of her way to bash hockey players, so that definitely affected my judgment a little. When I started failing English, it was almost a relief because for the first time in almost nine years, I was getting to be…normal."

"You are normal," I protested. "Just because your lifestyle was different…"

"Yeah, well, there's more. Sarah never entered me in any major competitions, it was all small ones. She kept telling my parents, she's not ready for the big ones yet, she needs more training. I didn't even find that out until this afternoon, when my parents and I finally talked about all the shit Sarah had been doing. The more training I needed, the more money she got, and that was what it was all about. Follow the money. The other girls chose to keep the competitions small, but Jo's also competed in a few major ones. If any of us get to the Olympics, it's going to be her. She has the talent and the drive for it, and she wants it. I don't. I'm sticking with ice skating because I could possibly get a scholarship for it, but that's it. I'm not risking my ankle, and I want to know what else is out there besides ice skating. My parents want me to spend a few days thinking about it, but my mind's made up. I just need a break."

I didn't say anything; instead, I just held her tightly, letting her slowly drift back to sleep.

The next morning we all got out of bed a little bit earlier than I think we all would have preferred. I helped Katie get down the stairs, just as Kyle arrived.

Mom and Brad had been working on breakfast for the past hour, the kitchen a wave of different aromas– bacon, sausages, eggs, and pancakes. The coffeemaker was going, and Mom had made a huge pot of hot chocolate as well.

The kitchen's atmosphere was beyond stiff, the tension and anxiousness so palpable the neighbors could probably feel it.

And then the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," I volunteered, halfway out the kitchen. I made my way to the front door and opened it. My dad stood there, looking impatient. I stepped back, wordlessly letting him in. He walked inside, not saying anything either.

Yeah, this was going to be fun.

Mom walked out of the kitchen a moment later, face carefully blank. If she felt off or uncomfortable about this, she certainly wasn't going to show it. "We have the dining room set up," she said to Dad. "It's this way." She led him into said room, with me following behind. The others joined us a moment later, Katie leaning on Kyle for support. Once she reached me, I wrapped my arms around her waist and she enfolded herself into me, sighing.

"I can't wait until I can walk again," she mumbled into my chest. "This damn ankle…Wish I'd gotten those crutches after all…"

Mom and Brad brought the food out and set it on the table while the rest of us took our seats. We dished ourselves up and Mom cleared her throat. "So, uh, Jake. What're you doing now?"

Dad looked over at her as he took a bite of scrambled eggs. "I'm a missionary."

We all gaped at him. The only person at this table who was less likely to become a missionary was Katie, and even that was up for debate, especially since Katie actually had it in her to be a good person.

"You're…a Mormon?" Brad asked hesitantly.

"No, it's for a different sect of the church." He named it off and I frowned. I'd never even heard of it.

"I don't recognize the name," Mom said a moment later, and Dad shrugged.

"It's really only big in a couple of towns in Minnesota. After my fall from grace, I met the pastor at an alcoholic anonymous meeting."

"Oh, was he one of the counselors?" Katie asked curiously, taking a bite of bacon.

"No, he was one of the members."

I fought back the urge to bang my head against the table. Clearly my dad was as flaky as ever.

"It showed me that even the most redeemed struggle with issues and sometimes make unwise choices," Dad continued on, sounding like he was leading a lecture about the latest apocalypse theory. "He got a few other members to join as well, and the group is really spreading."

"What bible do you use?" Kyle spoke up.

"Oh, we have our own."

Shane and I glanced at each other and he mouthed the word "cult" to me. I nodded in agreement. Maybe I should have been more surprised but this was just so typical of my dad. He always went to an extreme with things, and this was apparently no different.

Dad turned to Katie and me. "So, how long have you two known each other?"

"Um…about five months," I answered. "We met my first day of school here."

"Why'd you leave Shakopee, anyway?" Dad wanted to know.

"Shane and I had some trouble at school."

"What kind of trouble?"

"I was being bullied and James stood up for me," Shane told him.

"Really?" Dad cut into a sausage. "I would have thought it'd be the other way around."

"Why? Because you thought James was gay? Not everyone is against gays, Dad."

"I didn't say they are, although I will say that ever since I joined the group, I've begun to realize how unnatural homosexuality really is."

I clenched my fork tightly, and beside me Katie stiffened.

"Dad, James isn't gay," Shane said.

"I know he isn't, he's sleeping with Katie."

"I'm not sleeping with her – "

"You didn't let me finish," Shane interrupted me, eyes on Dad. "James isn't gay. I am. Kyle's my boyfriend."

There was a long silence at the table as Shane's words sunk in. And then very slowly and deliberately Dad set down his fork and knife and looked at Shane. I swallowed, noting the icy stare in his brown eyes, the way his lips were pursed, how rigid his body was.

We all waited with baited breath, and then Dad spoke.

"I have never been so ashamed of anyone, not even of James."

"What'd I do?" I demanded. Katie reached over and rubbed my leg soothingly, still keeping her eyes on my father.

Dad continued on, not once giving any sign that he had heard me. "Did you not hear me when I said that homosexuality is wrong? Immoral? Unnatural?"

"You're entitled to whatever opinion you want," Shane responded calmly. "I'm not going to change that."

"What am I supposed to tell the group when they ask how my time with my so-called sons went? That one of them is a fag?!"

Mom got to her feet and yanked Dad up. "That's enough! Get the fuck out of my house. You don't talk to anyone, especially our son, like that. I don't give a damn what kind of cult religious group you're in. It's not even real! It's nothing more than a way for some bastard to make money and control innocent people. And the fact that you could ever be ashamed of our sons…If you don't get out within the next ten seconds, I'm calling the cops."

Dad threw her a dirty look, but nevertheless headed for the door. Mom followed him, and a moment later it opened and slammed shut so hard that the walls shook.

There was a long, deep quiet as Mom walked back into the dining room and took her seat. "Well, we don't need him in our lives. Come on, let's finish eating."

We finished eating and helped Mom and Brad clean up. At a quarter to twelve, we headed out, Katie and Kyle piling into his car, Shane and I getting into Mom's car with her. Brad had opted to stay since the decision about the rinks didn't affect him directly.

We were about halfway there when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my jeans pocket and frowned when I saw it was Coach Billings.

"Hello?"

"Hey, James, it's Coach Billings."

"What's up?"

"So, I found out why the other team was targeting you and Shane last night."

"Okay, hang on, let me put this on speaker." I did so before saying, "Go ahead, Coach."

"You know how a few months back a lot of people were commenting on the school's hockey blog? Well, the other team went and checked it out, and a few of the players decided it would be really easy if they just went after the one who's gay and his brother. The problem was, they had no idea which one of you was which."

"Holy shit," I breathed out. Mom didn't even bother to glare at me for my language. She was too busy shaking her head while gripping the wheel so tight her knuckles were turning white.

"But you don't have to worry," Coach Billings continued on. "They have been suspended from the team. And it was just a few of them, not the entire team."

"Why'd they do it?" Shane asked, voice weak.

"Because they're pricks. Because they're teenagers. Because they wanted to win," Coach Billings answered. "It wasn't anything against you personally, it was just that they were stupid and needed to bully someone to make themselves feel better about whatever is going on in their lives. Don't let this affect you, Shane. You're one of my best players and your sexual orientation has nothing to do with how you play. A lot of people don't give a damn about which sex you prefer. There are those who do, but it's not as common. Believe me, no matter what anyone says, being gay doesn't define you."

"Thanks, Coach."

"No problem. Shake it off, we've got a game in a few weeks. James, how's the shoulder and neck?"

"Better," I replied. "A lot better. My shoulder still hurts a lot and my neck is a little stiff, but I've had worse."

"Okay. You going to be coming to practice on Monday?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good. I'll let you go. Have a good weekend."

"Thanks, Coach. You too." We hung up and I looked at Shane. "You okay?"

He nodded. "I think so…I mean, I'm not happy, but…I'm okay."

"Coach Billings was right, Shane," Mom spoke up. "Your sexuality doesn't make you who you are. And if anyone thinks otherwise, then they're fucking stupid."

I laughed a little and relaxed against the back of the seat until Mom pulled into the city hall's parking lot. We walked on in and were directed to the room where the meeting was being held. It was about the size of a classroom and set up with long tables, with the city council members at the first one.

The ice skaters, along with their mothers, were already seated in the room, and the rest of the hockey players, including Dak, followed suit. Mr. Knight walked in with Kendall, and he hugged Katie and gave Mrs. Knight a small smile. She returned it, patting the seat beside her to indicate that he should join her. He did so, and Katie and Kendall exchanged a grin. A few more people trickled in, but we barely paid any attention to them. We took our seats and waited for the members of the city council to arrive. Once they did, we were asked to speak about why we thought the high school's second ice rink should stay open, or why we thought a community ice rink would be a good idea. We each spoke in turn, Katie going last.

"You know," she said as she got to her feet, going to the front of the room. "I wouldn't be able to skate if the other ice rink at the high school was closed down. I've been skating since elementary school, and it's kind of my life. I'm not saying it's my dream job, because it's definitely not, but it's something I do enjoy. My best friends are ice skaters. My boyfriend," she smiled at me and I smiled back, "is a hockey player, and so is my twin brother. I'm not a 4.0 student by any means. And ice skating has given me a lot of opportunities. I could get a scholarship for it at the very least. And I've made some amazing friends and met some amazing people. As a high school student, having the second rink open is a huge help. I will say this – a community rink would be really nice, though. It would offer jobs and it'd be open when the high school rinks are closed down for the summer. I know keeping both open would be costly, but you'd make a lot of money through the community rink. A lot of people around here love ice skating, but they have to drive into one of the cities to do it. So, maybe you should think about all the benefits that come with having both rinks open." She sat back down beside me and I kissed her forehead.

"You did a really good job up there."

"Thanks. I put notes about what I wanted to say on my phone. I know it doesn't seem like a big deal to you because you're a hockey player and you're guaranteed to be allowed to keep using the high school's rink, but I am continuing ice skating for at least another year, and I can't do that if we're left with the community rink."

"I know. And it does seem like a big deal to me," I told her quietly. "I want you to get to continue ice skating, and I want it to be at the school. If you just dropped out, I'd never get to see you."

She squeezed my hand. "I mean, dropping out of ice skating probably wouldn't be that bad. I'd have more free time."

"But it'd be harder to get a scholarship," I pointed out. "Plus, you wouldn't get to see Camille and Stephanie and Jo and Kyle as much."

"I'd see them during classes and stuff. Well, maybe not Jo…"

"They can't close down the second rink."

We fell silent, awaiting the city council's decision. At last, the head of the council got to her feet. "Well. I think it's safe to say that we have taken everyone's thoughts and opinions into consideration. After some deliberation, we have made our decision. We will leave the second rink at the high school open, and reopen the community rink. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them or call or e-mail us…"

I tuned her out, too busy beaming at Katie. She beamed back, throwing her arms around me, and I held her tightly.

We finally got to our feet and filed out, making our way out to the parking lot.

"So, back to our house?" Mom said to the guys, Katie, and me. "To celebrate?"

"We can't, actually," Kendall grinned, wrapping his arm around Jo. She didn't really lean into him, but she didn't look too disgusted, either. "We're actually going out to a late lunch."

"And we're going out for ice cream and fro-yo," Carlos grinned, indicating himself and Stephanie, who rolled her eyes but smiled a little.

"And what're you two doing?" I smirked at Logan and Camille.

Camille grinned. "None of your business. Logan and I are celebrating on our own."

"Sounds interesting," Katie teased, nudging her hip against Camille's. "Have fun."

"Oh, believe me, we will."

"And what about you two?" I turned to Shane and Kyle.

"Well, I'm bringing Katie either back to your house or to hers, and then Shane and I are going to hang out," Kyle answered, snuggling into Shane.

"You're bringing me back to James' house," Katie told him.

"Sounds good."

We headed out, going our separate ways. Fifteen minutes later, Mom was in the house with Brad, and Shane and Kyle were zooming off to who knows where.

Katie and I turned to face each other. "So, what do you want to do?" I asked.

"I say we go out on our very first date," she suggested.

"Where do you want to go? Out for ice cream? A late lunch?"

"A late lunch. But I had somewhere specific in mind – the drive-in."

I quirked an eyebrow. "The drive-in?"

She nodded, grinning. "We have some good memories there. So, what do you say, Jamie-Bear? Feel like seeing a really bad horror movie and eating over priced food, before making out in the backseat of your car?"

I grinned back and pulled my keys out of my jeans pocket, unlocking my car. "You know what? That sounds absolutely perfect."

Katie cackled. "Of course it does. I thought of it."

I opened the passenger's door for her and helped her into the front seat, closing the door behind her, before getting in on the driver's side.

She looked at me as I shut the door. "It's been a crazy five months."

I nodded in agreement. "It has been."

"But you know what? It's also been kind of amazing. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

I leaned over, pressing my lips to hers in a long, slow kiss. At last, I pulled back and slipped the key into the ignition, the engine roaring to life. "You know what? I wouldn't either."

Katie grinned widely at me and I returned it as we buckled up and I backed the car out of the driveway.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't change any of it for the world.

So...what'd you guys think? Like I said, there will be an epilogue, so hopefully most of the loose ends will be wrapped up in that. If there's anything in particular you want to know about, just let me know and I'll see if I can work it in.

Thank you for reading, and please review :) I would appreciate it so much!