Christmas Wedding Part 9- More Than A Football Game free porn video

College football wasn't big in New England but it was big enough to earn the city of Boston a bowl game. It wasn't a glamorous game, just a mid-to- low level game for teams that barely made it into a bowl game. The inaugural game was one that caught the sport by surprise but it was fitting as it would feature the two, "Local" teams in Boston Cambridge University vs. UMass-Amherst. BCU was unofficially the "host" team for the game as the university was "down the street" from the game's location, historic Fenway Park. UMass had worked hard to recover from a slump that the team entered four weeks into the season as morale reached a low point after a slew of off-field incidents had caused disarray among the players saw them losing five straight before recovering. On the other hand, BCU was the victim of several teams in their conference being the best in the country costing them five losses across their 12 games. The game was being regarded as a rematch as BCU defeated UMass in their annual rivalry game in mid-October, barely holding on for the victory. UMass blamed the loss on their special teams play as their punting had become some of the worst in the country and their kicker barely holding onto his job. The team had struggled in that area of play all year, only doing well the first two games of the year. Those games were games that Miles Finn played for UMass. He had set records for longest punts and highest punting average in those two games, which would be tough to break. His performance was a novelty that would have resulted in a Ray Guy Award for best punter had he remained with the team. He quit amid a witch hunt initiated by an upset NCAA investigator in which Miles was cleared of any wrongdoing yet the investigator still tried to have him deemed ineligible. The man ended up being exposed, fired, sued, and prosecuted for lying under oath to state investigators and bribing students to lie to the NCAA to say he lied to them. Miles' name was sullied but his case caused the NCAA to force through regulations reining in rogues. Miles quit the team and switched his courses from classroom to online with the intent of transferring to a new college due to the school's treatment of him and his sister Jaimie. His exit caused an uproar in the school as his father revoked numerous scholarships followed by several other large donors revoking theirs in solidarity. The school didn't learn its lesson and a month later went after Miles' future brother-in-law, Rick Samuels, for a claim of rape that was known to be false and had been denied by the alleged victim while protecting a fraternity that was actually the one raping and extorting students. The Finns had stung the school badly. The bowl game was seen as a major chance to show that it wasn't all that bad and it was a few bad apples that caused the problems early in the year. The school was in for a large payday as the game paid each school $1 million, making the lost scholarships moot. The Boston Red Sox were the principal sponsor for the bowl game with several smaller charities acting as their beneficiaries for the game. Among them were the Finn Foundation and the New Start Fund, two local charities that were strongly tied to the community. They were also directly funded through the Finn Family, the Finn Foundation through Miles' father and New Start via his sisters and brothers. The week leading up to the game was spent by UMass working on fixing errors in their offense and defense while trying hard to find a replacement for their terrible punter. The team spent the final four days before the game in Winnisimmet, MA at the city's stadium behind the high school and staying in a hotel in the city. The head coach, Alex Summers, felt like it was fate mocking the team as the city's most famous family just happened to be the Finns and John Finn was one of the school's most popular teachers and related to multiple students at the school. Miles had caught the first practice by UMass and could see that they were going to lose badly unless they changed several things. It was what he did best, he was a troubleshooter who could see problems that nobody else could and find ways of fixing them that others gave up on find. He fought hard to stay away, if he got too close he would end up being sucked into the game and have to help them out. Miles went inside the high school to talk with his father and assist his cousins with some assignments they needed advice on. He was working with them for two hours when he was noticed by the UMass coaches who brought his being there to the attention of Coach Summers. He asked the principal, Jake Bollinger, what he was doing there and waited for the inevitable backlash from them. Jake calmly and authoritatively explained, "He's helping three of his cousins and their friends with some accounting and finance projects that are due this Friday. He is also speaking with his father, one of our teachers, as well as his mentor Sean Kelly. He's trusted to help them and will leave you alone." Coach Summers was noticed by Miles who was called over by Jake. Miles apologized to the coach and got up to leave, but was stopped and asked to speak with the staff when he was finished, then went back to the team. Miles shook his head in disappointment, he was going to have to explain some things to them and he didn't have the heart to lie about what they needed help with. When the students finished, Miles walked out to where the coaches were meeting and waited for their questions. As expected, he was asked what he saw and what he thought they could fix. Miles wasn't sure if he should tell the truth or give them a white lie. After a few minutes, Miles confessed, "I saw about 20 minutes it. You have glaring issues with some of the guys' timing and with blocking schemes. If you move around some of the players you could cause the defense to fall into a trap and let you gain major yardage. Your defense needs to stop focusing the run run as the offense will be passing more due to injuries. They are weaker on that, you could put pressure on the quarterback and receivers getting easy interceptions." He saved the worst for last, telling them, "Ray Ventura needs to go. He's not worth the trouble anymore and your emergency kicker is miles ahead of him in the kicking game." That was a sore spot with the team as Ray's family held too much sway over the administration, to get rid of him would cost the team a great deal of funding which they needed to keep at a top level. The coaches were left to think about what Miles had said and were fighting over which players to place where. Miles had been right about Ray, he was a drag on the team and was fighting with them over the lack of playing time for some of his friends. Ray had done nothing but gloat about getting rid of Miles then flaunted how he could get everyone fired with his parents' blessing and make the school get rid of all of the players who didn't show him respect. Ray caught sight of Miles and complained about, "Outsiders" seeing them practice. He was put in his place by Mitch Gibson, Miles' former roommate and Ray's biggest detractor. He wasn't happy that Ray had been able to stay on the team let alone in school after he was shown to have lied to help the NCAA investigation get going and that he was about to jump to a different school as payment for lying and only stayed due to the other school refusing to allow him to transfer and take on his issues. Ray's family tried to get Mitch kicked off the team and run out of school because he had caused the team to go against Ray. Mitch had allies in the form of multiple student-athletes who were upset that they were going to lose out because Ray was conducting shady deals with the NCAA. Those athletes were able to sway the boosters to counter the threats and make the Venturas into pariahs and cause much of their support to crumble from within as many turned their backs on them. Mitch was a rising star on the team and a genuine NFL-caliber player who was not afraid to tangle with the people who controlled his future on the team. The coaches loved him as a team player and were not afraid to back him up whenever he and Ray went at it verbally. Ray always lost, and those who would support him were shown just what the team thought about him as they were shunned and ignored. Mitch had kept close with Miles and at Miles' request, kept an eye on Sylvia Roberts for him. Sylvia was a girl who had been the victim of forced sex between Miles' future brother-in-law Rick Samuels and herself at the hands of a fraternity and their supporters. She was pregnant with Rick's daughter and was in constant need of support which Mitch was happy to give to her. The two had gotten close and even kissed as they studied during the week. Mitch had fallen for Sylvia and was fighting his urge to tell her the truth but chose to not do anything for fear of upsetting her. She was a great young woman, a night with Rick had changed her but she was slowly rebuilding thanks to Mitch which, in turn, was causing her to see that not all guys were terrible. Miles could see right through the two and saw that Sylvia was ashamed of her pregnant state and would have dated Mitch had she not been pregnant. The two were great together and it took everything he had to not tell her that Mitch may be the right guy for her. She was afraid of how people would react after her family cut ties with her over Thanksgiving, Mitch was the closest she had to a boyfriend and the only guy who ever thought of her as a friend and confidant. Mitch and the team worked hard and after an hour it was clear that the changes to their offense and defense were Miles' handiwork. Mitch noticed the subtle changes as well as the wording the coaches used. Ray scoffed at them changing things so late in the season, but the others had seen the wisdom in it and upon being told who was responsible were ready to celebrate. Mitch caught up with Miles after practice as the team walked through the school to the awaiting buses. He was blunt and to the point, telling Miles, "It's a damn shame that the school tried to get rid of you. You should be out there with us, not holed up here. The team needs you but the school cost them its biggest chance at recognition in years- all because of a jealous, spoiled, brat." Ray tried to say something but held his tongue when he saw just how many people were around Miles and giving him a cold glare, and that was just from Miles' cousins and their friends. He backed away without further damaging himself, while his teammates made sure he was on the bus and not going to do anything. Miles ignored it and thanked Mitch then walked off with his father while the team was left to think about the situation again. The next day was a repeat but the team showed marked improvement. The coaches were happy with the progress but irked that they hadn't seen the problem themselves. The Coach Summers understood the problem, it was simply them being too close to the situation and needing new eyes to fix it. Miles worked with his cousins and their friends after school and helped out the indoor track team with some of their preparations for an upcoming meet. His talent for finding and fixing problems was tough to miss as the coaches observed him while on a break. He was someone who could anger and frustrate you while talking you though a tough spot, all without breaking a sweat or getting upset himself. Mitch told him that he should go to the game, Miles declined the offer and explained, "I'll have to be there anyway, our family's charities are two are the sponsors. My brother's bachelor party is being held at the game as well so I have to babysit my friends to keep them out of trouble. I even have to go to the park earlier in the day because my younger brothers are part of the youth meet and greet with you." The team looked at him oddly to which Mitch explained, "He volunteers with a local youth organization, his father has been part of it for years. Ray found out about that and used it to claim he was hiring an agent so he could get kicked out of school. The bastard used his parents to force the school to get rid of Miles just so Ray didn't get kicked off the team for getting someone hurt." Miles made a discreet exit before the team started to ask more questions that he didn't want to answer. It was going to be tough the next day as there would be media observing as well as officials from both schools and the bowl game. Miles didn't want to spark another war over his presence especially as he was set to attend BCU in less than a month. At home, he had to endure his fiance, Christina Connors, trying to get information about him doing things with the team. He groaned and asked, "Did Sylvia even try to think I might have been cornered into helping?" Christina smirked and nodded, but added a happy, "You know they aren't going to let you get away from them easily. They liked you, and Sylvia and Mitch have gotten together because of you." Miles went to bed without saying much else, Christina joined him and consoled him over being put into a tight situation that he couldn't just walk away from. He woke up refreshed and ready for the day, but still had a feeling that something was going to happen later on at Fenway Park. Life always found a way of making the family's plans alter and someone end up getting in trouble, it was inevitable. The morning of the 23rd of December was hectic for the Finn Family. Ella and Cat Finn were upset that they were getting fitted for their dresses for their brother Michael's wedding while JD and Logan Finn were grumpy about not going with the middle school kids to do some of their planned activities. The boys were justified in their grumpiness but their great- uncle Sean's friend's property had rules that prevented kids their age from joining the sixth and eighth graders, it was for their own safety that they were not allowed to go with them. Where they were going was going to be fun regardless, they had been to Fenway Park several times in the past eight months but this was something entirely different. The boys were part of a youth program that was one of several that were invited to take part in a workshop with both bowl teams and learn the sport from coaches and players. Miles reluctantly joined them as a chaperone, he was the one who had the strongest connection to the youngest boys and allowed their fathers to enjoy a quiet day out. Miles was joined by Cameron Byrne-Toro and Rick Samuels, the former giving the kids a strong parent to keep them in line while the latter needing a break from his great-grandfather's drama. They were overseen by Juan Reagan, the head of the program and Rick's and Miles' former boss. Juan had been reluctant to allow the program to be involved in the workshop after UMass and the NCAA went after Miles but was overruled by his father- in-law, the program's executive director and founder. The 20 kids in the program were driven to the park with Miles wrangling them and keeping order. Rick and Cameron worked on setting up the activities with Miles' preference that he keep a low profile and out of the line of fire adhered to. The two were understanding in why he wanted to be out of the way, he was there to keep the kids from getting into trouble and didn't want to become a focus instead. The kids were met by a group of players and coaches from both schools with Ray and Mitch among them. Miles was greeted warmly by the UMass players and coaches with the exception of Ray, who was angry that he was there. Miles ignored him while the coaches told him to shut his mouth or he was going to sit out the game and never play another down for UMass again. The kids had a blast as they learned to pass, run, block, and kick with the players. Cameron had to hold back a few laughs as the kids wore the players down running through the drills, giving them a taste of what was to come for many of them as fathers. Miles knew what he was thinking and offered a hearty, "They either didn't have younger siblings or never had to endure this kind of enthusiasm before." Miles had to hold back and not help out, only really keeping the kids from getting too rowdy with the players. He held his tongue when Ray offered a sarcasm filled lesson on kicking, trying to make it look like he knew more about kicking than anyone else. JD and Logan had to keep from saying something about his teaching, they knew it wasn't all that good due to hearing it from Miles himself. Miles walked around for a bit while Ray was giving his lesson, dodging an errant pass from one of the kids and returning it with a pass of his own that got praise as he hadn't shown that ability to anyone before. It was something he hadn't needed to show off before, his teammates in high school blocked him well and he didn't have much time with the team during his short time with them earlier in the year. Ray's arrogance got the better of him and he started to kick farther and harder to the point that he was booting them down to Miles' end of the field and nearly hit several observing dignitaries in the head. If not for Miles' quick reaction and return kick that hit Ray in the head causing him to complain one of the Red Sox staff would have been hurt. Miles gave Ray a hard stare and dared him to say something, but before that could happen Miles was pulled away and given thanks for his reaction. Ray was forced to endure the kids not listening to him anymore once he was told off by the coaches from both teams. He walked off angry, swearing at the kids and enduring an admonishment from his teammates for his language in front of the kids. Mitch had to hold off adding fuel to the fire, he had to endure the kids being upset at Ray while his counterpart endured talk about Miles. Miles kept to periphery as the kids worked on their skills and listened to Mitch and the BCU player. He and Juan talked about plans for the next vacation while also planning their upcoming summer. Miles had to consider where they'd take the kids, getting a blank while running through ideas. The two talking about the kids caught the attention of several of the reporters attending the event and led to them asking about it. Miles' reputation was still muddled in between having been cleared and having the stink of the accusations of being a paid athlete with an agent making anything about him being there controversial. It didn't matter that the facts were out there and reported multiple times by the media, prior accusations still gave a lot of speculations and intrigue. The questions were met with a harsh response of, "He's one of the chaperons for the Reagan Group's kids. He's talking with the managing director, about what exactly you'd have to ask them. The group was selected at random to attend the workshop and as one of the principle sponsors for the game he is representing his father's and family's interests alongside the youth organization's interests." Questions were immediately asked about issues due to Juan being an agent. This was again met with an angry, "He is neither attempting to nor has any interest in speaking with players about their futures and trying to sign them. Your hunt for a story is showing your ignorance, you are still continuing a story about an alleged ineligible player. That story was exposed as a lie and the NCAA forced to apologize to Miles. Yes the man is employed as an agent, but has a primary job which is managing director of the Reagan Group and in that role and that role alone he is here observing the kids in his care as they learn the sport of football from the players and coaches. You should also know that Miles is keeping a close watch on his two brothers as well as cousins, the kids who are joking with Mitch Gibson over there." There were the normal reporters who still smelled a story but were met by a man who introduced himself to them as one of the NCAA board of directors' representatives and was happy to correct their story about Miles. After being humiliated, raked over the coals by the media, and sued by Valerie Finn, the NCAA had found that Miles was neither ineligible nor had any kind of illicit contact with an agent thus the accusations that he was ineligible because he knows and works with Juan were false. Miles ignored the furor over him, instead paying attention to the kids and stopping several of the ones in his group from fighting or getting too rowdy. Ray was still angry over getting put in his place by him and tried to show off again, this time kicking a ball that hit several media members in the head before landing at Miles' feet. Miles kicked the ball back, sending it past Ray into Mitch's hands getting the kids to cheer while Ray was kicked out. Ray ignored them and kept kicking, only he was distracted as he did so. He kicked a ball that was off the mark and landed hard on his leg, twisting his ankle as he landed. Nobody bothered to help him, he had done it to himself and his teammates were washing their hands of him while the BCU players gave him an angry "dumb-ass" as he hobbled by. Ray complained loudly about Miles causing it but the BCU players laughed at the notion. Miles hadn't caused him to show off nor had they caused him to get kicked out. He had only himself to blame and in trying to go after someone who had done nothing at all there except save one person from injury and kick the balls back and away from Ray there was no excuse for going after him. Ray was led away while the kids laughed at his antics. Mitch and the BCU players enjoyed a lot of fun as the kids ran off their energy. After two hours they were done and enjoyed a group photo with all of the players and coaches- minus Ray, who had left in disgust with his parents. The kids were treated to several Red Sox players joining the UMass and BCU players for lunch. The Reagan Group kids had known a few of them through Miguel Toro, a Red Sox pitcher who also happened to be the uncle of Liam's sister and a frequent collaborator with Juan and Louis Reagan. The other kids were shocked that the Reagan Group kids were on a first name basis with some of the players but rather than be jealous they enjoyed the unexpected moment of awesomeness. Miguel and Miles spoke about that afternoon, which caught the players and coaches off guard. Miguel grinned and explained that Miles' brother was getting married in two days and their bachelor party was going to include the game. It was further explained that Miles was the one who set it up as it was the only thing that they could do that could accommodate the guys without alcohol or sex. That set everyone off as the Miles the UMass players knew was shining through. The BCU guys had a laugh about Michael being a successful self- made millionaire which Miles took with great pride. He added a hearty, "For all the money he earns he still needs me to look over his taxes for him" which was met with another laugh as it was a great dig at his brother's success and also true. The kids enjoyed themselves while Rick stayed out of the limelight. He helped do much of the up close and personal wrangling among the kids as he was a favorite of them for his calm and caring demeanor. The kids liked him better than others but not as much as Miles, nobody was as well liked as Miles. He was trying his hardest to keep from saying something to Ray about his hot air claims especially passing but didn't want to get attention drawn on himself. Ray had no clue about it and tried to look like a big shot but would get his arm broken trying to pass in a game. The former quarterback in Rick was laughing at some of the techniques he used, even exaggerated for kids it was useless in a game. Ray knew he was there and kept trying to get him to react, daring him to say something so he could say that Rick was a rapist and should be in jail. Rick didn't play his game, instead he let Ray act like a fool and got the kids to move on and listen to the other players and coaches. Ray fumed about it but it would only make him get in trouble for acting out of line and causing a disturbance. As the time passed Rick caught the attention of the other groups who inquired about him from Juan. Juan was blunt, explaining, "He's a former all-star player who gave up playing to focus on his upcoming legal career. He's known many of those kids since birth and the others through his fiance and friends. He's been hurt badly by UMass due to that fraternity that was shut down in September. He was the guy whom they tried to get arrested for what the fraternity had done to him and the young lady." That was a tough thing to hear as it was a very delicate situation and nobody could rightly blame Rick for what others had done to him and for what happened to him and Sylvia after. He was good with the kids and was acting like a big brother to them, one could not say he was dangerous or that the kids were in danger as he was neither. He simply handled them well, better than other chaperons. After the event, Rick was pulled aside by one of the UMass people and told to leave. Rick asked why, then was told, "You don't belong here. You belong in jail for what you did. You ruined my fraternity with your false accusations! You raped her and made her take that MDMA. You will pay for stealing our videos, we will ruin your life until you pay!" Rick didn't have to respond, Mitch heard everything then told the man, "Try it. You are already getting fired for what you just said so it doesn't matter what you do as it'll only cause you trouble. I know damn well what happened and Rick never did anything so save your breath. They lied to you, but I think you already knew that given you graduated last year. My fiance is struggling with what happened to her because of what those sluts and scumbags did and Rick has been the best person to help her. She has a better life due to him and even though she is having a baby she is giving him the greatest gift she could ever give- motherhood for a woman who deserves it. So save your breath, he's a saint not a criminal." Rick gave Mitch an odd look which Mitch had to turn away from. Juan walked Rick off while Cameron told the UMass people that if the man wasn't terminated they'd have to explain to the board of directors why a man associated with a disgraced fraternity was still around the team after all members were to be subjected to an inquiry regarding their involvement especially those still linked to them. Cameron then added, "He's going to have to explain how he knew certain things that were not made available to the public, things that only I and a select few who have access to the evidence have seen." UMass cut ties with him and sent him home, while Rick was shielded from the media over the claims. Those who were close enough to hear the encounter were directed to the legal department and the case involving Sylvia and Rick and the facts that were presented by the state police rather than those from the fraternity and campus police. Rick was in the clear as the school had been in the wrong entirely and any actions against him were illegal and taken care of. Ray heard the exchange and figured out that if he was going down for what happened before then he would take down Rick and Miles with him. Rick was an easy target and would be unable to counter the pressure of Ray's parents on him especially with their powerful allies. Miles would get tainted because of his association with Rick making the team, the school, and his new school push away. It was perfect. It was a long ride back to Winnisimmet but the kids loved it. They were happy and calm as they were met by their parents. Miles walked off with Rick to calm down, JD and Logan rode in with Cameron and dropped off at home to enjoy an afternoon of playing video games with their friends. Rick looked off at the passing cars and felt like he was garbage and ruined a memorable day. Miles had to calm him down but it was true that Rick had caused a stir just because he was there. It was not his fault and the few who refused to allow the past to go and accept the truth were hurting him deeply. The only way to calm Rick down was to talk with Sylvia about it. Sylvia was happy to go, being driven over by Christina while Rick's fiance Jaimie was kept busy so she didn't rush to his side. Sylvia was the one who always seemed to make Rick see things in the proper perspective, something that not even Jaimie could do despite being the one who did that for everyone else. Sylvia offered Rick a hug and kiss on the cheek then told him, "Mitch told me what happened. This is going to follow us around for a while, until we are done with the school and everyone is put on trial. You are the best guy anyone could ever meet, the truth matters more than lies told by accomplices." Rick calmed himself then asked, "Why didn't you tell me Mitch and you were going out? I don't want you to get hurt when he turns pro. You know people will talk about what I did to you." Sylvia just smiled and hugged him, whispering in his ear, "We fell in love over Thanksgiving. We stayed close and he did like you asked in keeping an eye on me. He proposed to me a week ago. His family believe you are doing the right thing with me and I can't raise little Sylvia alone. He is ready to support me, as is his parents. They want us to stay with them after Sylvia is born and during my internship." Rick felt bad about what happened and asked, "Are you sure that you want to give up Sylvia? This is your child too, I'll support you two. You deserve to raise our daughter." Sylvia shook her head no, explaining, "I know I'm her mother but I can't bear the guilt of remembering what happened to us whenever I see her. She should never have to explain why she has two moms and two dads. Maybe when she is older when she can accept the truth we can meet but you two deserve a chance to raise a child especially one that is biologically yours. I only wish that Jaimie had been able to have sperm produced so I could give Sylvia a brother or sister that was Jaimie's creation." She was in tears now as the pregnancy hormones overwhelmed her. Rick consoled her which calmed her while also allowing himself to calm down. Sylvia manipulated him into doing that, with a sly grin she hugged him and kissed his cheek then walked off with a stunned Christina. Rick immediately called Mitch who offered a solemn, "I couldn't help it, she is just so beautiful and smart and is what I always wanted in a girlfriend." Rick countered with a strong, "She is set on Sylvia being given to Jaimie. I am not happy with her doing that but she wants a clean break. Please keep her safe and happy and don't let anyone separate you when you go pro. She's a truly amazing woman." Mitch was all smiles as he agreed. His teammates asked what that was about, telling them, "He found out that I popped the question to Sylvia and wanted to get my reaction. I love her, she loves me, but he doesn't want her to give up what they share even though she wants his fiance to enjoy motherhood." Nothing more was said as the players started to get ready for the game in three hours, with each going over the game plan again and again until they could recite it in their sleep. Ray's absence was causing some to celebrate as the hated Ray wasn't gloating and making others angry with his complaints about their play. He was the last player inside and told everyone that they were going to see him finally earn national attention because it was going to be a close one tat came down to his kicking. Ray's posturing infuriated the quarterback as well as Mitch, who was one of the few defensive backs who had been able to remain healthy and was often the center of their biggest plays as a team. Ray was barely featured in the games, he'd kick but it was useless after 40 yards and his punts were barely able to make it 40 yards without a lot of wind help. He wouldn't be the star of the game, if he was in there at the last minute trying to win the game he'd choke under pressure as he couldn't handle it. Ray suited up and headed out, but his running was slow and showed he was all bluster as his earlier fun had caused him more damage than he thought. The trainers were almost giddy at Ray being hurt, with the head trainer hoping he was out of the game so they didn't have to deal with his whining. It was clear that Ray was not fit to punt and he might not be able to kick either, it depended on how he stretched. Miles and Rick arrived with their friends Will Bollinger, Eric Vincent, George Daniels, Scott Nelson, and the blushing groom, Michael Finn. They were joined by Reid Pena, Raul Porter, Donald Bollinger, Bryan and Pete Smith, and Fabian and Sebastian Perez. Miles asked where his cousins David and Patrick Peterson were, getting a hearty, "They are with the dads, something about a law enforcement powwow going on. I think they didn't want to drink with us around, but Ian's there so it's not true." All but the Perez twins were under 21 so it made sense to them, but in reality it was them letting the guys enjoy some fun without the trio hovering over them. The group entered Fenway and were greeted by dignitaries and members of the Red Sox staff as well as multiple high ranking government officials. Reid had to hide his blush as his mother was among those in attendance, with Fabian and Sebastian seeing their future grandfather-in-law Governor Christian James trying hard to hide his smirk as they saw him over in the corner with Reid's mother Kennedy. Miles was the center of attention as the UMass people rushed over to him and asked to speak with him. He got the nod from Kennedy who joined Miles as his legal adviser and representative of his parents. They were blunt, asking him to play in the game as Ray was hurt and the team refused to allow him to play after the stunts he pulled that morning in front of everyone. Miles refused to play, citing that he wasn't a current student and had been accepted as a transfer student to BCU. The UMass officials countered that he maintained his full schedule and had been granted four course exceptions due to prior experience and had been cleared by the NCAA in September to play and by their own rules was allowed to play as he was still an active student. It wasn't a matter of academics or amateurism, he was eligible and was needed. Miles asked what BCU would do about him playing. A BCU representative had their official response, which stated that due to being a full time student and a need for his specialized abilities and in the interests of fair play BCU would not protest his playing and were proud of his choice to set aside prior issues to help both schools. They also included that he was in the midst of a transfer but as he was still taking classes at UMass online he was still a UMass student. Miles had no choice but to agree, with Michael all but pushing him out the door to head down to the clubhouse to suit up for the game. Michael offered the others a happy, "He's playing today. He's giving both teams something to remember. My brother's going to be more famous than me tomorrow!" Down in the clubhouse, Ray was furious at the team's doctor telling him he was too hurt to play. He called him all sorts of vulgarities before being told to shut up by Coach Summers. Seeing Miles, he ranted and raved about him being there which everyone told him to finally shut the heck up or else. Miles was shown to a locker and given a uniform and shoulder pads to put on. They just happened to be the same ones he had worn at the start of the season, complete with his name tag on the inside. He adjusted them, took them off, then put on his girdle and pants then put on the shoulder pads and helmet again. Miles stretched for a bit before finishing dressing, walking out late to the looks of shock and awe by the crowd. Word about Ray being hurt had spread through the BCU team but word about Miles replacing him as the kicker caused the BCU players to grin and know that he'd give them a game to remember. Miles was someone that they feared and one who made you look bad just by playing the right way. Up above in the VIP suite, the Venturas were in an uproar and trying to force their way inside to get at the UMass officials for refusing to allow their son to play. Mr. Ventura was screaming at them costing the team the game while Mrs. Ventura complained about them costing Ray a shot at the NFL. That caused everyone to laugh as Ray would only get into an NFL game if he bought a ticket to watch. The couple tried to throw their money around and force the UMass people to do what they wanted or they would remove every penny they paid the school and invoke a clause that would require UMass to pay them back every penny they donated. Kennedy's interest was piqued and asked about that, to which the Venturas gladly told how they gave money to the school on the condition that their son played and had buried in the contract that they could remove every penny and regain their money if the school didn't do what they told them to do. This made Kennedy grin as they had just admitted to extorting the school to give Ray an unfair advantage over any other student. Kennedy happily told the Venturas to try, she would ensure that they were investigated for extortion and would have all donation contracts nulified for lying and misleading information. She knew she would win handily and awaited their reaction. The Venturas threatened her, claiming she couldn't do that to them and they would ensure that she was fired prompting Christian to proclaim, "She's the deputy attorney general, she investigates your kind of actions for a living. She?s one of the few people in the state that could make that claim without needing any further information or an investigation into it." The Venturas stormed off, vowing revenge. Kennedy just grinned at everyone there, pulled out her phone, then told the head of the state's financial crimes unit to investigate the couple for extortion of public officials and bribery as she explained the situation and what may have been occurring behind the scenes and how it affected the other investigations into the school. She was serious about what she was doing, they were the kind of people to have gotten a lot of their wealth and power through similar actions and had to have been the people who pressured UMass to go after Miles instead of offering their support for him as well as been among the benefactors of the fraternity that went after Rick. Ray was angry and tried to force his way out onto the field again, only to be removed by security and told that his credentials had been revoked. Ray tried to fight them, earning himself a quick arrest and removal from the park. He swore that they would pay for what they were doing to him, unknowingly giving them reason to place him under arrest for criminal threats instead of a verbal or written warning. The Boston Police officers were not afraid to give him a ride to the station while his parents bailed him out. They were not intimidated by the Venturas and gladly placed Mr. Ventura under arrest for assault after he struck an officer for ignoring his threats. Mrs. Ventura wisely shut up but told the officers that she was going to talk with their commissioner about their actions but was told by the desk sergeant that he already knew as he witnessed their previous tirade at Fenway Park from within the room. Miles was left unaware about the situation but Rick felt like it was just the start of something worse as the Venturas were petty enough to use him to get at Miles. He was right as out of town media tried to ask about Rick's connection to Miles and about the rape allegations against him. Kennedy stepped in to protect Rick, while Christian personally addressed the issue with a firm, "They were made by a man who is now sitting in jail. I point you to this past September?s arrests at a UMass fraternity and subsequent investigation by the Massachusetts State Police for background." He had gotten the redirect that he needed, the press jumped on the tidbit with questions about how Rick was involved in that. Christian was blunt, proclaiming, "Rick was railroaded by UMass police, several of whom were exposed as being part of the fraternity's non-consensual sex ring. Rick was drugged and forced to have sex against his will with a fellow drugged student in the hopes that she would become pregnant forcing him to marry her instead of his fiance. While she did become pregnant, she and he have remained friends and she has chosen to give up their child to Rick and his fiance so they could have a child. She made this decision after a lot of soul searching and need for closure. She is friends with Rick and his fiance and has found love in the hands of Rick's friend, a young man who is playing today for UMass and who is one of the stars of the game." Those who didn't catch the allusions asked who Rick's fiance was and why she would accept another woman's child as her own. Christian proudly stated, "Her name is Jaimie Finn. She accepts motherhood as it is the one thing she cannot bestow on her fiance. She is the younger sister of Miles Finn whom as you know was the person who replaced the disgraced Ray Ventura today. Their family is one of the sponsors for this game but Miles' playing is entirely out of need and with the blessing of BCU." This again redirected things away from touchy subjects and anyone who didn't know about Jaimie's connection to Christian would be told immediately in private by other media members. Christian had done what no others had been able to do, he had gotten the media off of Rick's back and onto a better story. The connection of Mitch and Sylvia was told and their love story made for great print for all. The game was tight as expected. UMass had a good offense but they struggled to adapt to the changes BCU had made since their last game. The defense was centered around Mitch who was causing lots of pass plays to get broken up simply by allowing UMass to adjust on the fly. Miles was called in to kick several times in the first half. His first kick was nothing spectacular, just a deep 50 yard kick that was fair caught at the 25 yard line. His second was 55 yards but with saw the BCU returner gaining 10 back for a net of 45 yards. Miles had to fill in as place kicker and booted two short field goals before the end of the first half, the only points for UMass but still enough for a 6-3 lead. He was congratulated by the BCU players after both kicks, it was a show of sportsmanship and an understanding that he was going to be a student at BCU the next semester so they may have him in class making it best to be good to him. Miles was grateful for the encouragement, they were doing their best to thwart him and respected his abilities. During halftime ESPN sought out Michael and the others. Michael granted the interview but set ground rules about what could be discussed and what was off limits. He would not answer any questions about Ray or Rick or Jaimie, and he would cut it off if need be to protect them. ESPN asked about the group, knowing some of the background about them but not everything. Michael happily explained, "We are family through friendship, siblings, and marriage. I'd explain more but it'd take all afternoon as it's complex and intertwined and some of it is simply unbelievable." There was a question about Scott who blanched while the others proclaimed, "He's a real deal hero" to which Scott added, "Like Michael, Bryan, Eric, George, Miles, and Rick aren't." He then added, "Heck, Michael is a double hero. He's been knighted by her majesty the queen for saving lives twice." Michael added a swift, "Alright I'm a knight, while Pete and Bryan are lords. They are Lord Bryan The Viscount Braintree and Lord Peter The Baron Gosfield. Bryan and Pete's wife are nobility through their father. All of that is public record and likely to be reported tomorrow." He hated to do that but it was tough to hide that from others. The media asked about all of them as a whole and got a happy, "Seven of us spent five years of school together, two have been been friends since kindergarten, and the rest joined over time when adopted or dated our cousins." It was clear that they were close and their group was one that was noted for being tightly wound up. There was little else to say as they were in the media enough to get what was needed about them. They were completely normal people even if they were rich, had powerful family, and had people who were looking out for their best interests. The fact that they had the governor talking freely with them was eye opening, especially as it was explained that his granddaughters were all close to them with Raul dating his youngest while Sebastian and Fabian were engaged to his second and third oldest. The guys knew that they were going to be on the national broadcast that night as Miles' name would be mentioned for his actions in the game. They were fine with it, especially as they knew the real story would be shown as there were too many people there to not allow the truth to be told. It helped that the group were happy to talk freely with the reporters and told them just about everything they could think about and even on camera they were not afraid to joke about themselves and what they had done. Miles was energized and ready for the second half as the team ran onto the field. His opening kickoff was muffed by the BCU player who lost track of the ball in the lights and touched it, leading to a scrum for the ball and ending up with Miles having to save UMass from disaster as a BCU player got the ball and ran it for 20 yards only to face off against Miles. Miles went full on at the player but was slightly off target and clipped his arm breaking the ball loose and leading to Miles recovering it as they landed. UMass had the ball in BCU territory and were quick to score thanks to the adrenaline rush that they were all still high on. Miles kicked the extra point then the kickoff and unlike the opening kickoff the player downed it rather than trying to run it out, was forced to down it at the 15-yard line. The game went back and forth after that as each team traded touchdowns for the next quarter. UMass held onto a 10 point lead but both teams were starting to wear down. Mitch started to get targeted more as the UMass defensive scheme was causing too many issues and he had not had much to do all game. This was a mistake as he broke up several passes then grabbed a tough interception, running it back for a touchdown giving them a 17 point lead. Miles hoped that was enough to give Mitch the MVP award as he didn't want to win the award for what he didn't want to do. Mitch kept at his pressure and ended up with a key sack during a blitz that caused a fumble and gave UMass the ball back deep in BCU territory leading to another touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff Miles kicked it deep to which the BCU player ran the ball back for 20 yards before getting hit by Mitch causing a fumble which he was able to grab from the scrum but quickly downed. Mitch's actions had gotten the guys in the suite cheering as Rick texted Sylvia that her fiance was about to be on national news for his play. She texted back something that caused the others to stop short and give Michael a big laugh at, a picture of the girls enjoying themselves at the bachelorette party with the ladies all grinning at the stripper dancing nearby. Michael shook his head as they gave them payback for disturbing their party. They then texted to Rick something that caused them all to gasp, Courtney's wedding dress which Michael refused to look at. The guys struggled with words while Kennedy and Christian had to grin as they got the ultimate revenge on them- a way of making them all feel uncomfortable and happy at the same time. The game ended with UMass winning by 24 as BCU couldn't keep themselves together and counter the big plays that UMass had taken advantage of. Mitch was the MVP with Miles getting a close second. Miles refused any interviews after, only saying that he thanked BCU for being gracious enough to let UMass play with a full roster rather than take advantage of an injured player's stupidity. It was a clear sign that he wasn't about to talk about Ray or Rick or anything else, he just wanted to leave. Mitch and Miles talked after both changed, with Mitch asking if he had heard from the girls yet. Miles showed the text from the girls which caused him to stammer while Miles added, "They were adamant that they not be disturbed and sent that as punishment for the guys telling them about your play today. It's alright, he's not that much bigger than you". He had to dodge a towel as Mitch glared at him while the other players laughed at his moment of inadequacy. Mitch was national news as his plays were highlights of the week. Miles was also shown alongside his brother, cousins, and friends. His story was compelling but Mitch's story made for a great movie and coupled with Sylvia being engaged to him gave him a need to keep a low profile. Mitch was given the rest of the month off as he was set to attend Michael's wedding as Sylvia's escort and enjoy some time with her as they met with Sylvia's future boss' representative the next day then traveling home to visit his family and personally meet her future boss. He wasn't being given special treatment, he was in need of a long talk with his parents and needed the change of scenery. He would return to school but it was likely that he was going to go pro after his senior year. The two were greeted warmly by the family as they participated in the wedding ceremony. Mitch was, "One of the guys" even if he was mostly a stranger to them. His manning up and falling for Sylvia was enough to get them to take him on especially as he did what was considered to be the manliest thing anyone could do: supporting a woman in need. Sylvia and he enjoyed being pampered by the kids especially Cat Finn who refused to let Sylvia do anything while JD ensured that Mitch stayed close to Sylvia. The two were concerned about the baby so were more interested in keeping Sylvia from overexerting herself and making Mitch be her protector for the service. They were adamant, it was endearing to both that they cared about them so much but both knew that it was them trying to keep them from unintentionally harming their future niece. The couple left for their fateful meeting on the 26th, flying out in a private jet that Sylvia's employer sent for them. The two met with her at her amusement park and listened as she explained Sylvia's job and what would happen to her over the summer and what was to be available to her if she needed it. It was all but told that she would be watched for postpartum depression just in case, but Sylvia was adamant that she wouldn't need any mental health services while Mitch had to get her to accept it as he didn't want her to hide her struggles from him. Mitch didn't ask too many questions except for the particulars about when, where, why, and how and refused any holiday gifts from Sylvia's boss especially ones that were meant to give him something to do during his time out west that upcoming summer. She understood and had it made clear to the NCAA and the university that what Sylvia was receiving was part of her preexisting scholarship package, one that she had accepted before she started at the school, and that he wasn't expecting anything back. She further told him that should they start sniffing around they would have a hard time with her lawyers as well as have to explain why the were targeting Mitch for his girlfriend receiving a legitimate benefit. Mitch and Sylvia had a quiet Spring semester as Sylvia prepared to transfer to a new school for her sophomore year. Mitch did well in his classes and had to repeatedly fight off agents trying to woo him into their services. He kept busy by keeping Sylvia calm and helping her through the final months of her pregnancy then helping her to the hospital in Boston to deliver the baby. Little Sylvia Robin Samuels was born in late May, just after final exams. Sylvia was the spitting image of he father and shared little with her mother except the color of her hair. She was held by her mother for only a few seconds before she handed her off to Jaimie and Rick, tearfully telling them that her job was done and she hoped that they would be the mother and father that Little Sylvia deserved. Jaimie couldn't say a word as she placed Sylvia into her crib while Rick hugged Sylvia tightly. Mitch held his fiance's hand as she cried with Rick over their beautiful child being taken away to the nursery. She told them that she would sign the paperwork giving custody to Jaimie as it was to be a surrogate pregnancy, refusing to let any of the three talk her out of it no matter how much they pleaded with her. The paperwork was signed the next day, with Sylvia being deemed competent and Rick accepting her choice without saying a word. Jaimie cried into Sylvia's arms as she had given her the child she never thought that she would ever receive. Sylvia vowed to give Jaimie the honor that she had given Sylvia by naming Mitch and her first child after them. Jaimie shed a tear while Rick had to explain to Sylvia, "It's not why she named her Sylvia, it's also the name of her former friend and classmate who killed herself back when she was in high school. She made a vow to name her daughter after Sylvia Palmer and none of us could talk her out of it. She chose Robin as it was my grandmother?s name and is the name of the doctor who diagnosed her as transgender. Meeting you was a happy coincidence or fate or something greater, but she has two namesakes alongside you." Sylvia shed more tears then hugged Jaimie. It was the sweetest thing she had ever heard and she could not be offended by Jaimie honoring a friend who suffered greatly. Sylvia was going to have a loving home and a lot of people to support her, her birth mother could not be happier with the couple. The couple married over the summer in a small ceremony at the amusement park Sylvia was interning at, with Sylvia becoming pregnant in the fall. The two moved into an off-campus house and worked hard while earning their degrees for the next two years. Mitch graduated with a degree in economics and was drafted into the NFL by the New England Patriots- much to his shock and their happiness, making it easier to be in touch with their new friends and surrogate family from then on. Sylvia had to hold off earning her degree for a year as she stayed at home to care for their daughters. She was able to find cheap and eager childcare thanks to Jaimie's aunts and was able to keep herself busy as she managed her husband's finances while studying and taking classes online. She returned to school and earned her degree in marketing, with a great offer from her former boss but instead chose to work for the Patriots. Mitch had a strong career and was involved in several Super Bowl winning teams. He had a 13 year career that was cut short by a dirty play that blew out his knee but led to his second career as a coach and financial planner. He helped keep players out of bankruptcy and advised pro athletes throughout Boston, earning a hefty salary for himself while Sylvia continued to work for the Patriots. Little Sylvia loved her Aunt Sylvia, playing with her frequently as she babysat the little girl when her mother had to work and her father had to defend a client in court. The precocious girl knew her mother was not her, "real" mother but loved her none the less. She and her aunt were close and often confided in her instead of her mother. It broke her heart but the elder Sylvia could never tell her "niece" the truth. She loved her, but she would never cross the line into intervening in her life or contradicting Jaimie or Rick in their raising of the younger Sylvia. Little Sylvia found out by accident the truth about her "aunt" years before and cried for hours. It was beautiful. She loved her "aunt" and knew why the were so close now. It was a dream come true for her, her "real" mother was someone who was caring and respectful and thought about others' feelings and who gave her up to her mother to give her mother what she needed most in life. The younger Sylvia and Jaimie were like their mothers in personality. Sylvia never told her half sister about her real mother, but the younger girl seemed to know the truth and showed Sylvia all of the care and attention a little sister can give a big sister. They were raised apart but the common bond that they shared made for something greater, explained to them that family is what you make not what you are born into. It was the Finn Family motto, and they were the epitome of it.