Chapter 10.
Game two of the series was a nail biter. And Megan and Lance were there to watch it all unfold. The Twins and Braves went into the 8th all knotted at 2-2. But the Twins scored a run in the bottom of the inning and went into the 9th up 3-2. Once again, the Twins closer Aguilera came in and slammed the door on the Braves. The Twins were up two games to none with the series headed to Atlanta for the next three games.
Neither Megan nor Lance made the trip to Atlanta for the games, instead cuddling up and watching them together at Lance's. None of the games went the way they had hoped, the Braves taking all three of them. Game three was particularly bitter, as the game went to twelve innings before the Braves scored the winning run with two outs on a close play at the plate. Rick Aguilera took the loss. The Braves won game four in an only slightly less heartbreaking manner, walking it off 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth. Commentators couldn't quit talking about how competitive the series had been, one of the most competitive of all time. That changed in game five. The Braves bludgeoned the Twins 14-5.
The mood was somber as the series returned to Minneapolis. The Braves only needed to take one of the next two to win the series, while the Twins had to take both games. The one bright spot local media noted was that so far through the series, the home team had won every game.
Megan and Lance attended game six. Once again, it was a nail biter, going into the 11th inning tied 3 apiece. Aguilera rebounded and sat the Braves down in the top of the 11th. In a kind of turn about is fair play, Kirby Puckett launched a dramatic solo homerun into the left-centerfield gap to walk it off 4-3. Lance couldn't help but notice that the ball had gone over the fence in exactly the same place he had shattered his face just a little less than two weeks earlier. The series was all tied up 3-3.
The next day was a big day for Lance. Not just because it was game seven of the World Series, but also because he had his first follow up appointment with Dr. Miller. Of course Megan was there to literally hold his hand through the appointment. Dr. Miller had examined him, taken a few x-rays, and declared that everything looked great.
As they wrapped up the appointment, Lance asked Dr. Miller "sho doctor, when do you think I can get my jaw unwired? And get rid of this damn headgear? I sure would like to go to the game tonight without it."
Dr. Miller was very clinical when she responded "we will schedule another follow up for two weeks from now. We will see how things look then. But for now, it is critical that we keep your jaw wired and keep you in the headgear. I won't make any promises. I will only say we will see how things look in two weeks."
Megan had noted the dejected look on Lance's face. Despite being in her work environment, and in front of her boss, Megan wrapped Lance in a hug. She said "I'm sorry baby. But you are doing so good. And the next two weeks will fly by. I promise. I will make sure of it." Dr. Miller arched her eyebrows but didn't say anything to Megan at that moment.
That afternoon Megan arrived at Lance's. When he opened the door, she wrapped him in a hug. She then walked into the apartment. While Lance was still in a somber mood, nervous about the game and disappointed he was still in headgear, he noticed Megan didn't smile either. This was unusual for her. She walked over and sat down on the couch. He came and sat beside her. He asked "I know, it is nerve-racking. Is everything ok?"
Without facing him, she asked "notice anything different?"
Lance was afraid this was a trick question. He studied Megan intently but couldn't see anything different. He nervously answered "no baby, you look just as gorgeous as always. I mean, you can't improve on perfection."
She turned and gave him a big smile.
He exclaimed "your braces! You have Twins braces! Oh my God baby, they are so cute. You are so cute."
He continued to stare at her mouth and her alternating navy blue, dark red, and white ligatures as she said "YES! I changed my colors this afternoon. For good luck! I hoped you'd like them. Even if they are pretty noticeable."
Lance said "baby, they are incredible." He went silent a moment before adding "how do you make braces so sexy, while I am over here looking like a defective erector set?"
Megan leaned in and nibbled on his ear and then whispered "well, say what you will. But I think your braces are cute. And sexy. Everything about you is."
Mark had once again picked them up. Everyone was excited, but also nervous. And Megan noticed that Lance had seemed to have gotten over the disappointment from his earlier appointment. In fact, she had noticed the change in his mood when she had shown him her new braces colors. She filed that away in the back of her mind.
Before the game, for the first time since game one, Lance and Megan visited the clubhouse. As they made their way around the clubhouse wishing everyone good luck, Lance threatening them that they better win or else, Megan could not help but smile. As they walked up to Kent Hrbek, he said "oh hey! You've got Twins braces!" Megan said "for good luck!" He smiled and said "I can use all the luck there is." He pulled his batting glove out of his pocket and said "hey, maybe you can rub this. Give me a little luck at the plate." She took the glove and rubbed it, smiling the whole time. She then said "I think I can do better" and held the glove up and kissed it. Handing it back to Hrbek, he said "thank you darlin'. And now I know we are going to win. And by the way, might I add, Lance sure outkicked his coverage with you. He's a lucky guy." Megan's face turned red as the beamed. She said "oh, thank you Mr. Hrbek." He laughed as he responded "it is Kent." He then responded absently "and how do you make braces so cute?" Lance jumped in and said "I know right?"
They made their way over to Kirby Puckett. As he had done before game one, he really gave Lance a hard time about his headgear. Tonight, he really bore down on it. But Megan was there to defend him. The smile on her face disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. She looked firmly at him and demanded "stop that. That is not nice. He did that so you could be here tonight. You should be thanking him, not making fun of him. And might I add Mr. Puckett, looking at your mouth, you could use some work yourself. You have absolutely no room to be mean to anyone about their teeth."
Kirby's face went blank, then he broke out in laughter. He looked at Megan and said "I am sorry. Let me apologize. Lance, no hard feelings?" And then he turned to Megan "and more so, let me apologize to you. And you are right. I could use some work. But not now, I have a ball game to win." Lance massaged Megan's shoulders as the anger subsided in her.
He said "baby, it is ok. I would give him hell too if the roles were reversed. If you can't be mean to your friends, who can you be mean to?"
Megan turned towards Lance than back to Kirby and said "well, you two can be mean to each other, but not in front of me."
Kirby said "Lance my man, be careful. She is gorgeous. But don't get on her bad side" and began laughing.
Before they walked away Lance replied "bro, that is the last thing I want."
Game seven was an instant classic. A true pitcher's duel. The Twin's ace was back on the mound and pitched a gem. He was matched pitch for pitch by John Smoltz of the Braves. At the end of 9 innings, the game was still scoreless 0-0. Jack Morris refused to come out of the game, and sat the Braves down in the top of the 10th.
In the bottom of the 10th, Lance's replacement in left field, Dan Gladden, led off. He hit a broken bat blooper that landed in front of the outfielder. It took a funny hop and he stretched it into a double. A sacrifice bunt put Gladden at third base with one out. The Braves then intentionally walked both Puckett and Hrbek to load the bases, hoping for a double play. Twin's manager Tom Kelly inserted a pinch hitter, Gene Larkin, to hit. On the first pitch, he hit a shot into left-center over the drawn in outfield. It was an almost identical play to the one that had injured Lance. Only this time the Braves left fielder was not able to make the catch. Dan Gladden trotted in to score, winning the game 1-0. The Twins had won the World Series.
The stadium erupted. The suite in which Megan and Lance were erupted. Everyone was screaming, going crazy. Megan was jumping around screaming. Until she noticed Lance. He was simply sitting in his seat, staring at the field as his teammates dogpiled on the pitching mound. Megan sat down and wrapped her arms around him. She asked "what is it baby? You just won the World Series."
Lance said "no, they did. That should have been me that scored the winning run." Megan simply squeezed him harder and said "oh baby..."
After a moment she surprised him when she said "you would not have scored the winning run tonight. If you had played, there would have been no game seven. The Twins would have already won the series. And baby, you DID win the World Series. You, more than anyone, left it all out there on the field. Please, smile for me? Please? Be happy. And go down there and celebrate with your teammates."
Lance shook his head and said "no, this is their night."
Megan leaned back, a serious look on her face, and said "NO! It is your night too. You are going to go down there. It will be embarrassing if I have to drag you down there by the ear."
Lance looked into her face. He could not help but smile a little. He said "ok."
Megan and Mark waited outside the clubhouse while Lance celebrated inside. Inside, Lance danced and cheered with his teammates as champagne and beer flew through the air. In the excitement and pandemonium, no one, not even Lance, noticed the headgear he was wearing. After 10 minutes though, Lance's thoughts turned to Megan. He realized as excited as he was, he also missed her. And he wanted to celebrate this with her, not his teammates. He slipped out the door to find Megan and Mark chatting.
Megan looked up and said "baby, that was quick."
He looked at her and said "they have it under control."
Stepping up to Lance, Megan said "baby, you are soaking wet. Oh goodness, your headgear straps are soaked. We need to get you home and get you cleaned up." She gave him a sly smile and a wink.
Back at Lance's apartment, Megan kissed Lance passionately in the shower as the warm, steamy water cascaded over their bodies. They spent a long time in the shower, not just because they wanted to get clean. Once they were out of the shower, Megan was drying Lance with a towel, spending extra time on his head, which she knew he loved. Once she was done, she simply tossed the towel on the floor. She kissed him again then said "baby, this night has almost been perfect."
Lance said "almost?"
She smiled at him and said "almost." She picked up her facebows and inserted them in her mouth. Then, looking in the mirror, she placed her Interlandi headgear and elastics on her beautiful head. Then without a word she took a few steps over and withdrew something from her overnight toiletries bag. Lance could not see what it was, all he could see was the back of Megan's gorgeous body, naked but for the headgear she was now wearing. She turned and stepped over towards him as she said "it has almost been the perfect night. There is one thing missing though."
Lance looked at her hands. And saw she was holding a condom.
She said "remember when you said that I wanted it to be perfect the first time? Well, this is perfect." Megan gave him a big smile and noticed that she was getting the desired upon reaction from Lance's body that she had hoped for. She cocked her head and bit her lip, the facebows pressing seductively into them, and asked "would the patient please come with me to the bedroom for his next round of treatment?"
The End... for now.
