Powerful Women

Facing Alvin and his friends' teasing, Steve took it all in stride.

He glanced at the women reveling around them, then shook his head with an amused smile at Thor, who was "shivering." "Your hammer's a big hit with the ladies.

You should be happy about it. There's nothing wrong with that!"

Thor swapped his drink for a glass of bitter whiskey and said miserably, "Have you ever been 'forgotten' by your own mother?"

Steve pressed his lips together and glanced at Alvin and the others. Then he gave his assistant coach a rueful pat on the shoulder. "First, we'd need a mother before we could even consider what you're talking about.

"Don't act like a child. Who would be jealous just because someone's mother was happy for once?

"You're the one we're all jealous of!"

With that, Steve raised his glass toward Alvin and the others. "To victory!

"To the sun flying off into space!

"To our lives finally getting back on track."

Alvin was the first to answer Steve's call. Laughing, he stood up and hopped onto the bar counter, then shouted to everyone looking his way, "To victory!

"To foolish humanity, to brave humanity, to complicated humanity...

"These past few days have been tough, but...

"We're not alone..."

Alvin looked around at his friends, then raised his glass with a laugh. "To Hell's Kitchen, to Community School, to our family and friends...

"Cheers!!"

Stark let out a shrill whistle and waved enthusiastically at Alvin, who was standing on the bar. "You should announce that the real party's started..."

Then Stark darted over to Alvin's antique jukebox, which he rarely let anyone touch. He quickly searched through the options and picked Nickelback's album For Fighting.

When the hard-rock intro to "Saturday Night's Alright" blasted through the restaurant, the