My very first fan fiction ever!

A one-shot Lizzie McGuire Christmas story.

English is not my first language, so I apologise in advance for all the mistakes I'll make, but hey, I'm doing my best.

Oh, of course I don't own Lizzie McGuire, just like everyone else on that isn't called Disney (and chances are, they're not).

Enjoy!

Gordo's Christmas card

A Lizzie McGuire Christmas story

"So… what do you say, you and me to the Christmas dance together?" asked the dark-curled guy in front of her.

"Really, Adam? You mean tomorrow?" Lizzie said.

"Yeah, I know it's kinda last minute, but would you…?"

It was December 22nd and Lizzie and Adam were standing on the parking lot of the college that Lizzie had attended a few years ago. Tomorrow was the annual Christmas dance and Lizzie still didn't have a date. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go, at least not with Adam. This was not how she had expected things to turn out…

"Um, Lizzie, are you still there?" Adam asked.

"Oh, sorry," Lizzie reacted, quickly waking up from her thoughts. "I… I… I don't know," she stammered, "I think I need some time to think about it."

"But the dance is tomorrow."

"Then I'll call you when I get home. Is that all right with you?"

"I guess so…" Adam replied, sounding a bit disappointed.

When she got back to her apartment about an hour later, she still had not made up her mind.

"Hi Lizzie!" her roommate called as Lizzie entered the door.

"Hi Parker…" Lizzie said with a monotonous voice to her roommate, Parker McKenzie.

"What's the matter?" Parker asked when she saw the puzzled look on Lizzie's face.

"Nothing, I'm fine…" Lizzie lied.

"Now, you don't expect me to believe that, do you? You've never been a very good liar. Come on, fess up!"

"You see, it's Adam," Lizzie answered, "he asked me out to the Christmas dance tomorrow night."

Parker looked surprised. "Then why the long face? Shouldn't you be like… dancing on the ceiling right now?"

"I don't know" Lizzie said, staring at the ground, "I told him I had to think about it."

"What? But the dance is tomorrow!"

"I know, but I'm just not sure if I'm ready to… move on."

"Nonsense, you are very lucky to be asked out by such a cute, tall, dark-curled guy!" Parker told her, grabbing Lizzie by the shoulders and shaking her. "You've got to move on someday…" And after a little hesitation, she added: "That's what I did."

Yes, if Parker was able to get over him, them why wouldn't I? Lizzie thought. It was the unanswered love for that other dark-curled boy that had united Lizzie and Parker in the first place and now it was time to help each other get over him. Lizzie knew Parker was right; she had to accept Adam's invitation and move on. But why does it feel so wrong?

Ring ring! Lizzie's inner thoughts were disturbed by the sound of their phone ringing. Before Lizzie realized it, Parker had already picked it up and answered it. "Hello?"

"Oh hi Parker, it's Adam," a nervous voice answered on the other end of the line.

"Hi Adam!" Parker giggled. And then, more seriously: "You probably want to talk to Lizzie."

"Yeah, I'm calling about the Christmas dance. I couldn't wait… You're going with… that guy, aren't you?"

"Yeah…" Parker sighed. "He asked me out weeks ago. Oh, there's Lizzie. Bye!"

Lizzie took the phone and politely accepted his invitation. He agreed to pick her up the next day at seven.

Lizzie spent the rest of the afternoon lying down on her bed, brooding over the decision she had made. Then, she heard the mail fall on the doormat and decided that that was a good excuse to finally get up. She casually picked it up from the doormat, unaware of what she was about to see. She was sorting hers and Parker's mail, when one particular envelope caught her eye. It was addressed to Lizzie and, judging by its shape and thickness contained a just another Christmas card, but this one was different from the rest. She immediately recognized the handwriting on the envelope. But it couldn't be. It just couldn't be him. Not after all those years. Lizzie opened the envelope with trembling hands. A picture of a Christmas tree and a picturesque village, both covered in snow – a standard Christmas setting – revealed itself on the outside of the enclosed card, but it was its inside that made the largest impression on Lizzie.

"Dear Lizzie,

The fact that we haven't seen or spoken each other in years doesn't mean that I don't still think of you. I wish you a very merry Christmas and my best wishes for 2008.

Gordo."

It took a long time for Lizzie to fall asleep that night. And even when she did, her dreams were filled with questions, Christmas cards, and Gordo. All of those happy childhood memories came back to her. And how she had spent the past few years of her life longing for him. And what he had meant with that card. Could it mean he missed her as much as she missed him?

She slept far into the day and when she finally did wake up, she was as confused as she had been before she fell asleep. However, after she had made herself some breakfast, she did realize that had to send him a card back. Gordo had written his return address on the back of his envelope and Parker still had a few blank Christmas cards left, which Lizzie could "borrow", so that was no problem. But what should she write in it? It had to be something between "Where were you all this time?" and "Let's get married". After hours of thinking, writing drafts and then throwing them away again, she finally came up with the perfect text. She wrote it in the card in her best handwriting and finally sealed the envelope. There was just one problem: if she mailed her card to Gordo, it would never arrive before Christmas. She decided that it would be best to deliver it herself. After all, Gordo's place had turned out to be only half an hour away and she could easily go there and put it in his mailbox. (And then quickly run away before anyone would see her.) She figured that she could go there on her bike right now, as she felt that the exercise and some fresh air would do her well.

Yeah, cycling, that's a good idea.

OK, cycling was a bad idea, Lizzie thought once she was about five minutes underway. It seemed as if all the rain in the world had gathered above her head and had decided that this was the moment to fall down. After a good half an hour she arrived at Gordo's apartment building, totally drenched. Her clothes were soaked and water was running through her hair. She entered the building and went straight to the mailboxes that were situated in a central hall, next to a big board with doorbells. After some searching, she found the mailbox belonging to Gordo and with a little sigh, she put her card in it. Lizzie glimpsed at the little silver doorbell belonging to number 251, next to which was written: "D.Z. Gordon". Would I? she thought, No, I can't just show up on his doorstep as if we are fifteen years old again. She headed back to the exit doors, thinking of Gordo's reaction when he would read her message. She braced herself to re-enter the pouring rain outside and was just about to walk through the exit, when she heard a warm, familiar voice behind her.

"Lizzie, is that you?"

It was unmistakably Gordo. Slowly, she turned around to face the boy who had filled all of her hopes and dreams in the past years. And there he was, standing right in front of her, his bright blue eyes lighting up as they met hers. He was looking a lot more mature than she'd expected, almost like a man now, but he still had the same dark-brown curly hair and the same smile, that grew on his face while he stared at the girl he had been longing to see for such a long time now. He noticed how the rain had made her clothes stick tightly to her skin and how water was still dripping from her long blond hair. Her eyes were twinkling in all colors of the rainbow and the longer she stared at him, the wider the smile on her face seemed to grow, making her look even more beautiful to him than ever before. And so the happy couple kept gazing at each other, until they both realized that they must have been standing there an eternity and neither of them had spoken yet.

"Hi" they said in unison, making them both giggle a little.

"So… how have you been?" Lizzie asked.

"Fine," was all that Gordo could answer. "And how are you? Besides um, being pretty drenched."

"I'm fine too, yeah…" Lizzie said, "I was just here to um… deliver your Christmas card myself. You know, so that you'd get it in time."

"How thoughtful of you," he flattered, "to defy the elements for my Christmas card."

"You're welcome" Lizzie smiled.

"Would you like to come up to my room?" Gordo asked. "To dry up and wait until the rain stops," he quickly added.

"I sure would, 'cause I think I've seen enough rain for a whole year today."

He led her to his third floor apartment and after he opened the door for her, she took a good look around. The small apartment had only a few pieces of furniture in it, together with several film memorabilia. The walls were decorated with a number of old movie posters, making the room typically Gordo. Gordo himself disappeared into what appeared to be a bathroom, to return with a clean towel in his hands.

"Here, I thought you may want to dry your face."

"Thanks," Lizzie said as she hung her handbag around the ears of one of the chairs, so that she could take the towel from Gordo's hand.

With her now dry face, she seated herself next to Gordo on his old couch. There wasn't a long silence now, as the two re-united friends caught up on the past few years – in a minute or two. After that, they went on about every detail of their lives now. How Gordo had got that scholarship – "I knew you would get it". How well Lizzie was doing in law school – "Trust me, you had it in you the whole time". What his latest movies were – "You should definitely come and see them sometime". That Lizzie and Parker were roommates now – "I never expected you two to become so close". How he was following master classes from famous directors – an elaborate description with many technical terms followed, in which Lizzie quickly got lost, but she didn't mind, because she admired how he could talk with so much excitement about something so complicated.

They both felt it again, that unique connection between them, that bond between two people who have known each other their entire lives and are able to understand what the other one is thinking without even having to ask.

Although it only seemed like moments to them, they had been talking for hours and it was only Gordo's appetite that reminded him what time it really was.

"How about I make us something to eat, I'm starving," he suggested.

"Oh, great! I didn't know you could cook!" Lizzie said in surprise.

"I have many hidden talents," Gordo bragged. "And besides, you'd be amazed what you can do with a microwave and fryer."

"I should have known," she chuckled. "So what are you making me?"

"Curly fries, what else?"

After Lizzie finished eating and Gordo had eaten all curly fries that were left, to the very last one, he noticed: "Hey, you said you came here to give me a Christmas card and you still haven't given it to me."

"Oh, when I saw you I had already put it in your mailbox."

"Then I'll go and get it now. I can't wait to see it. It's my curiosity, you see, it's stronger than me."

Before she knew it, he was back with an envelope in his hands. He had clearly been running.

"So… let's… see… what's… inside…, shall we?" he gasped and fell down on the couch, right next to Lizzie.

Lizzie was getting a bit nervous now; she had not expected to be there when he read it. But she was also anxious to find out his reaction.

Gordo quickly ripped open the envelope to take out the card inside. He took a short look at the front, which showed several animals in a snow-covered landscape – after all it was one of Parker's cards – and then opened it to see Lizzie's message inside.

"Dear Gordo,

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! We may have been apart for a while now, but I still think you rock. Don't ever change!

Love, Lizzie"

A smile from ear to ear lit his face. He got the message; he knew what this meant. Gordo looked up and saw that Lizzie was blushing.

"That's the sweetest thing you have ever told me," he confided her.

There must have been not more than a few inches between the happy couple, staring in each other's eyes. Lizzie could feel Gordo's breath touch her skin.

"Your card surely brings back memories," he whispered. "Remember that time in eighth grade when we were dancing in your backyard?"

"How could I forget that dance…" Wait, dance? Dance! The Christmas dance tonight! Adam would pick me up at seven! "What time is it?" she called out.

"Um, it's 7.36," Gordo answered, disappointed that the atmosphere was ruined now. "What's wrong?"

"I… I have an… um, appointment at seven," Lizzie stammered. "I gotta go. I'm so sorry, really…"

And before he knew it, she had run out the door and left him, totally confused.

It took Lizzie about three steps, if not less, outside the building to realize that there was no way she could still go out with Adam. Not after what had happened today.

She still hurried to get home, but when she got there, it was already well past eight. Great, not only do I stand him up, I also let him wait for over an hour before I bring him the bad news. But Lizzie knew that she had no other option, because going with Adam absolutely unwillingly would be unfair to him too.

Before she turned the key to open her door, she took a short moment to gather all the courage she had. Once she had finally stepped inside, Lizzie found to her surprise that it was completely quiet; no-one was home. There was a little note on the kitchen table saying:

"So, it seems like you stood Adam up. Since my date has called off at the last minute with some silly excuse, Adam and I have decided to go to the Christmas dance together.
Parker.
P.S.: don't wait up for me."

What?! I hoped that he wouldn't be too disappointed about me standing him up, but it seems like he's gotten over me pretty fast…

And Lizzie would have been very upset, if Gordo had not been all she could think of that night.

"O my God! What have you done?!" Sam cried out desperately.

"O honey, I told you I'm sorry I spilt that paint over the box with eels," Jo said, "but it's the paint you use for your garden gnomes and it would not have happened if you didn't let your stuff lie about everywhere."

"But now we can't have the traditional McGuire eel cooking competition…"

"O well, it happens," Jo said, caring just a bit too little. "Then maybe now you have time to help me with the turkey. After all, it is Christmas Eve."

Lizzie had arrived at her parents' house earlier that day for the McGuire family Christmas dinner and was observing it all from the living room. She knew this was all part of the normal pre-Christmas dinner stress that every family had to deal with, including hers. What followed were some trouble in the kitchen with a turkey that was larger than the oven, as well as alarming smoke signals later on. When the McGuire's were almost ready to sit down for dinner, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that!" Matt said as he ran towards the front door. "It's probably Melina; she promised to come by."

Melina had been his girlfriend for almost seven years now, minus a few weeks of quarreling. When he opened the door, he didn't quite find what he expected. It was Gordo, wearing a red Santa hat and holding a girly handbag. (Fashion had never been one of his strengths.)

"Hello Matt, long time no see, hm? Can you get Lizzie for me? She left her handbag at my place yesterday."

"Lizzie's handbag… That explains a lot, 'cause you know, you had me wondering…" Matt said and then continued in a mischievous tone: "So Lizzie spent yesterday at your place hm, just the two of you…"

He was cut short by Lizzie, who had come running from the dining area when she had heard that familiar voice again. "Gordo!" she called out enthusiastically.

"Hi Lizzie," Gordo smiled, holding up her bag. "You forgot your handbag."

"Oh, of course, I can't believe I didn't miss it yet," Lizzie smiled back. "That's so kind of you, Gordo. Thank you sooo much!"

"Let me give you two some 'alone time'," Matt grinned and went back inside.

Gordo handed over the handbag to Lizzie, letting their hands just touch in the process. She blushed and he timidly stared at the ground.

"I think I still owe you an explanation about yesterday," Lizzie said, "'cause I left kinda suddenly, didn't I?"

"Like Cinderella at twelve o'clock," Gordo answered, "but I think I already know why. You see, I called to your house earlier today to tell you about your bag, but you weren't there and Parker answered the phone. We talked a bit and she explained me… everything."

"Everything?" Lizzie said in shock. "Even about… where I was going… or would have been going last night?"

"She sure did. It looks like I caused you to stand someone up, didn't I?" he said with a rather smug grin on his face.

They were interrupted by Lizzie's mother showing up in the doorway. "O my God, Gordo, it's really you!" she cried out. "Oh, look at you, you've grown so much!"

"Actually, I'm just as small as I was back then," Gordo tried to say, but Jo was too wound up to hear him.

"So, what brings you here all of a sudden?" Jo asked.

"I was just dropping off some things Lizzie left behind the other day," he answered.

"O, you two already met yesterday… That explains a lot…" Jo said, while she gave her daughter an inquisitive look, and then continued: "Well, don't let me hold you up; you probably want to go to your own family on Christmas Eve."

"Actually, we're not doing anything special tonight," he said, "we already celebrated Chanukah a few weeks ago and we're only having a few presents underneath the Christmas tree tomorrow."

"O, but then you must join us for dinner!" Jo proposed.

"No, no, that's not necessary, I don't want to intrude on a family get together," he answered.

"You won't be intruding at all. And besides, you are practically family," Jo said. "I insist."

Gordo knew that there was no point in arguing with Lizzie's mother when she had made up her mind and frankly, he could not think of anything more wonderful than spending Christmas with Lizzie. And so it happened.

During dinner, many looks were exchanged between Lizzie and Gordo, and equally many insinuations were made by the rest of the McGuire family, most of them by Matt. Once finished, they all helped to put the dishes in the dishwasher – some a bit less voluntarily than others – and finally came to rest on the sofa. Lizzie walked away from the crowd, looking at Gordo from over her shoulder. He got the hint and followed her back to the front porch.

"Gosh, I can't believe it's been so many years," Lizzie said.

"I know. It feels like it was yesterday."

"What happened to us, Gordo? Why haven't you talked to me for so long?" she wondered, sounding very serious now.

"It's just…" Gordo sighed. "It's very hard when one's feelings are unanswered by the other…"

"So, it's true…" Lizzie said, fighting against tears. "You never liked me the way I liked you."

"The way you liked me?" he called out, pleasantly surprised. "I was talking about my feelings for you."

"You… you had feelings for me?" she said, her eyes filling with excitement. "But why did you never tell me?"

"I thought you could never fall for a guy like me; you, a girl who could have anyone she wanted. So I decided to keep my true feelings to myself, because I didn't want to ruin our friendship," he answered, equally excited. "It's kind of ironic, really, because not telling each other is what drove us apart eventually."

"I can't believe we missed out on so much…" she said. "We could have been together for so many years now."

"But now, with all misunderstandings cleared…" Gordo said, looking at Lizzie, and pausing shortly before he continued, "…I can finally ask you if you would make me the happiest guy on earth and go out with me sometime."

"I'd love too," Lizzie said, filled with happiness.

Gordo took her hand and the couple were drowning in each other's eyes.

"Isn't that mistletoe over there?" he said, pointing towards the oak leafs in the Christmas decorations above the door.

Lizzie smiled and whispered: "It can be if we want to."

And with that, Gordo put his hands around her waist and Lizzie wrapped hers around his neck.

They closed their eyes and their lips met in a warm, passionate kiss.

I hope you all enjoyed my story. A very Lizzie Christmas everyone!