Well, this is my flashfic for Allie. It's different than some of the stuff I've written before, and I'm not sure about anyone's voice. Surprise, surprise, it's on time…but it's on the long side without being inspiring; sorry about that. This was definitely a challenge, though!
Black, Green, and other Trendy Colors
"Congratulations again, Ms. McDonald. And welcome aboard," one of the managing partners – she thought his first name was Kyle – said as he shook her hand.
"Thank you for the opportunity. I'm very excited to be working here," she shared honestly as she looked around the room at the welcoming committee of the Toronto branch of Heiller, Truesman, and Murine. Fifteen years ago, she never would have pictured herself her, a new associate in an international law firm specializing in international environmental law, but here she was. Where she stood was a product of made and unmade decisions; she was lucky in how everything fell out, honestly.
"We heard that we almost lost you to our New York branch and our Virginia branch," one of the firm's Human Resources reps shared.
She blushed a little, but replied, "Well, I do have family in New York; my sister and her husband are there. And contacts in Virginia."
"She did finish law school at the University of Virginia. And she took that special seminar at Georgetown on international implications of environmental law," another managing partner shared.
The man whose name she though was Kyle laughed, "Our Ms. McDonald is an interesting case. She's the only Canadian I know who did her training in international law in the States. It definitely gives her some insight into our strange neighbors to the south while still understanding all it means to be Canadian."
"You can blame my sister and her husband for that," the young lawyer laughed. "They were the ones who started looking in the States for schools first. It was Casey who even suggested I look at UVA in the first place. Besides, after UT, I wanted something a little different." And she needed to get out of Canada, but that was another story.
"Well, Ms. McDonald," Kyle began again, "lets show you to your office and introduce you to your team. Are you ready?"
"Absolutely, sir."
Before she knew it, she was following the imposing group down the hallway and off to the bank of elevators. It was the beginning of her first day and it was already becoming a blur. But, as she got on the elevator to go to her office she swore that one of the lawyers walking by looked familiar. She knew she knew that face, but she couldn't figure out from where. It was probably why she didn't mention it later that night when her sister called.
"Tell me everything," Casey had gushed when she called.
"Everything? Wow, that's not a tall order or anything," she'd laughed into the phone.
"Oh, don't be difficult, Lizzie. I'm excited for you and I want to know," Casey replied. Elizabeth McDonald smiled; she could hear her sister pouting over the phone.
"Don't pout, Case. Or your husband will make fun of you," Liz replied.
"Yeah, he would, wouldn't he? You would think Derek would have grown up a bit by now."
"If he'd grown up, sis, you would have thrown him back," Liz pointed out. Luckily, Casey laughed at that. It just proved that time really could heal all things.
Derek and Casey was the most expected surprise that Liz had ever had the occasion to witness. Sure, some people joked about the sexual tension between the two. And sure, Edwin did have that research notebook that documented everything about their interactions. And sure, Amy had broken up with Derek all those years ago because he complained about Casey too much. Everyone saw it coming.
But no one actually thought it would happen. So, when Derek floated the idea of him and Casey together as a couple over dinner one night their senior year, the conversation did not go well. The result of the conversation? A visibly upset and crying Casey. A dividing line between the family. And a family hatred of pizza, the food that was being served that night.
On the side of Derek and Casey? Well, Marti obviously; she was going to side with her Smerek, given the opportunity. She hadn't understood why people were against the idea. "Smerek and Casey make each other happy," she shared, as if that should be the end of any argument. Liz agreed with her. As did George, surprisingly enough.
On the horrified side of the fence? Abby for one, although Liz understood that, strangely enough. Abby had met Casey, but didn't know her. And Abby clearly cared about her children. While she believed that Nora was a good stepmother, she had to be a little unnerved that the teenaged step-daughter that moved in with her son was suddenly the girl he was dating. Casey's and Liz's mother also had issues with the relationship, although she was never clear on why. The clearest she ever was with her objection was that it would "leave a mess when it all blows up."
The biggest surprise among the non-supporters? Edwin. For someone who was doing all of the research, his visceral reaction against the idea of the couple still boggled Liz's mind. When she tried to ask him about it, in the expressive rant that she got in response, the only thing she could remember was, "How can I look up to that? I'm embarrassed to say he's my brother!"
The rest of their senior year was tense. Liz had honestly thought Casey would drop the relationship after facing negative reaction. She found out later that Derek was afraid Casey would back out as well. Casey surprised them, however. She was clearly hurt by her mother's opinions and Edwin's vehement disapproval, but, she didn't back out of the relationship. It did seal both her and Derek's decisions to attend college in the States. Both attended different undergraduate schools in Virginia, but moved to New York after graduation. Casey got her MFA from Columbia; Derek received his graduate degree from NYU. And then, somehow, a life for the two of them fell together in New York. To this day, Liz suspected that her and Casey's father, who seemed okay with the couple, had something do to with how things worked out. No one ever confirmed that.
The only thing that was confirmed is that it was Dennis and George who paid for Casey to become Mrs. Venturi. And Nora, Abby, and Edwin didn't attend. Liz knew that it hurt Casey that her mother and new mother-in-law refused to show. And she knew that Derek was pissed at the people who didn't show, more because Casey was hurt (although he was a little hurt as well) than anything else. But it was a beautiful wedding. And have her dad there to walk her down the isle and Emily, Marti, and Liz there to serve as bridesmaid seemed to make everything okay in the end for Casey. Well, that and the fact she was marrying the love of her life.
As she wrapped up her conversation with her sister, who was promising to brave returning to Canada just to see her cool sister the power attorney, Liz found herself falling into deep thought. Would she ever find a love so important to her that she'd risk as much as her sister had? Looking over her love life, there were times when she said yes that she should have said no; Jamie was a prime example of that. There were times when she said no when she probably should have said yes; to this day she wondered what would have happened if she had given that 2L the time of day when he approached her in the law library during her first month of law school. And there was a time where she wonders if she should have explored an option that wasn't even on the table. Yes, Edwin still popped into her head now and again. Given his reaction to Derek and Casey, though, most days Liz is glad she never asked.
Most days.
The months in her new job passed quickly. Law is not nearly as glamorous as one would think. It was more about paperwork than anything else, when you got down to it. And, as the resident expert on US law, and the only one in the Toronto branch that had passed the bars in Virginia, New York, and D.C., she was called on a lot to help with paperwork and coordinate information between the branches.
It was her knowledge of the law of the States that had her placed on the power team. As she walked into the first team meeting, where she would meet the other lawyers and paralegals who would be slaving away on the secret big case, she saw some people she knew. Jim, in the far right corner of the room, was the expert on international law as it applied to nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Adrienne, hovering over by the coffee pot on the smaller table near the window, was a powerhouse when it came to winning cases related to damages people suffered due to pollution. There were a few other people in the room who were new to Liz…as well as the strangely familiar man that she had seen on her first day.
She stared at the man, who stood at the head of the conference table, trying to place him. The clothes weren't helping. Ignoring the fact that he decided to go for black instead of the traditional navy blue or gray, the power suit he wore wasn't that much different that the one that Jim or the other males in the room wore. He was deep in conversation with one of the paralegals, but Liz couldn't hear his voice from the door. But there was something about his face. Where did she know him from?
"People usually don't openly stare at recently promoted attorneys," a familiar voice said quietly into Liz's ear.
Turning to voice, Liz smiled at Jenna, her right hand paralegal – even if she looked more like a fashion plate than a serious legal mind. "I was staring, huh?"
"Pretty much," Jenna laughed.
As Liz returned her attention to the front of the room, he noticed that the object of her curiosity was now looking back at her. "I take it you're our last member. The new hire with knowledge of the strange legal tendencies of our neighbor to the south?"
"Yes. I'm Elizabeth McDonald. I'm excited about being included in the team."
The man at the front of the room blinked at her last name. "Are you originally from the US?" he asked.
"No. I was born and spent most of my life here in Toronto," Liz shared.
"Oh. You just reminded me of someone I knew in my hometown," he replied.
"Well, I did also live in London for five years," Liz added.
"London? Really?" the interest reappeared in the familiar face. "Did you go to high school there?"
"Yes, I went to Sir John Sparrow Thompson High School," she shared.
"London is my hometown," the stranger shared. "I went to that high school as well, but I'm guessing I graduated before you did."
"Probably…oh, but you might have known my sister Casey. She is a few years older than I am and also went to Thompson."
"Casey McDonald is your sister?! Wow, this is a small world," her fellow lawyer smiled.
"I take it you knew her," Liz laughed.
"Oddly enough, yes. I think she introduced herself to me as part of a bet, but our whole initial interaction was weird. I'm Trevor Smith," the lawyer smiled as he held out his hand.
Liz went over to shake it. "Trevor. Why does that name sound familiar? Did Casey ever bring you by the house?"
Trevor laughed. "Yes, she did – for the strangest family dinner I had ever attended. You just might recognize me without the black nail polish, earring, and –"
"Oh, my God!" Liz cut him off. "I remember you now. I was at that dinner. I knew you looked familiar, and it was bothering me that I couldn't place you."
"She was staring and everything," Jenna chimed in.
"Well, that's at least one legal mystery solved for the moment," Trevor laughed.
Liz smiled. "So, I guess the next one would be the subject of this secret case-"
"Which I will reveal right now," managing partner Kyle Murine said as he walked into the conference room, closing the door behind him. "Everyone, grab a seat," he directed.
As the lawyers took their seats around the conference tables and the paralegals took their positions in chairs on the perimeter, Kyle Murine began with the cursory introductions. "I noticed that you were beginning to get to know each other, and that's good. Each of you bring a piece of knowledge or expertise we'll need in this case. Jim Diamond, one of the partners in this branch, has a history with the law surround the use of nuclear power, for weapons or energy. Calvin Travers, as many of you know, has a PhD in political science in addition to his law degree. This is particularly useful, as the topic of his dissertation dealt with environmental protest movements and the law. Adrienne DuLoc is our resident expert on how to win damages against corporations that pollute. Newly promoted Trevor Smith, is a great organizer and helped to lead our last powerhouse legal team to an un-heard of victory. And finally, you might have heard about our newest lawyer here, Elizabeth McDonald, whose training in international law actually comes from south of our boarders. She also has the distinction of having the ability to practice law in the state of New York, the commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia. We'll need each of your insight and talents for this opportunity in front of us."
"Okay, okay, Kyle," Jim said as he lounged back in his chair. "We get it. We're great. We're the shit. So what's this topic secret case?"
"Well, we are taking on the US government," Kyle smiled. As his assistant, Sarah, began to hand out the case information, Kyle continued. "As you have all heard, from 1946 until 1958 the United States tested nuclear weapons on Bikini and Enewetak in the Marshall Islands. In the 1960s they insisted the islands were safe for humans to inhabit, but the inhabitants because to report thyroid tumors and other numerous health problems. While the US Congress did approve some clean-up of Enewatak Atoll in 1977 and some monetary compensation was given to some of the islanders, but not enough. After that, the US has basically said the island is safe and refuses to do additional clean-up or assist the residents in paying for the various illnesses that they are reporting. Given some of the recent movements in the international community, we think we might finally have the right climate to strike."
This announcement first led to some general clapping around the table. Given Heiller, Truesman, and Murine's leanings, almost all of the lawyers were environmentalists and activists. All of them had read about the case of the Marshall Islands at some point, although in Liz's case, she read about it in high school and at university. Neither UVA nor Georgetown ever mentioned the issue, which was telling in a sense.
"Is this branch leading the charge?" Trevor asked. "That might be a problem, given we are in Canada and can't prove harm so that we could bring a suit."
"And we'd need someone who would be able to argue in front of the US Supreme Court. Apparently, they are picky about who can do that," Calvin snorted on that note. "Can Elizabeth argue before that court?"
"Unfortunately, not yet," Liz had to reply. "It's a pretty long process to get considered."
"As for all of those smaller details," Kyle interrupted, "we will be working with our New York, Virginia, and California branches. One of our partners in New York can argue before the US high court. In terms of plan of attack, expertise, and general drive for this case, those of you in this room will be providing that. All of the resources at all of our branches will be at your disposal." Kyle then stood. "On that note, I turn this all over to you, Trevor. Go hold the States accountable."
"Yes, sir," Trevor replied as the room stood as Kyle stood to leave. After the managing partner left, Trevor turned to look at the rest of the team. "Well, let's get started."
The Marshall Islands case. Just the excitement of working on something so big consumed Liz and the whole team. Before she realized what happened, a month had gone by. A month of early mornings and late nights, team meetings, and overworking their paralegals. (Jenna was already threatening to quit if Liz didn't allow her a week vacation soon!) It was also a month of Liz working closely with Trevor. That was an interesting experience.
When Casey had brought Trevor home all of those years ago, Liz really hadn't had a chance to get to know him. She just had the impression he was surprisingly well-mannered, given his appearance, and that he was good with children. He managed to make Marti less frightened of him, after all. But while getting to know him while working on this case, he surprised her. He was still polite and was probably still good with children, but he was amazingly well-read. He also had eclectic taste in music, being in to more than just punk. And he had a good sense of humor. Case in point was one conversation they had late one night as they were wading through applicable case law for their arguments.
"You know, I really couldn't place you when I first saw you in the firm," Liz admittedly.
"Why is that? Didn't see me as lawyer?" he asked.
"No. That's not it. To be honest, it's me I don't see as a lawyer. I always figured that would be the route Edwin or even Derek would go."
"Derek did like to use words to get his way, didn't he?" Trevor laughed.
"That, and his father George was a lawyer," Liz added.
"Wasn't your father a lawyer too? Doesn't he still practice in New York?" Trevor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, but of the two of us, Casey would be the one more likely to go into law, I would have thought."
"Okay, so it wasn't that you couldn't see me fighting 'the power' in the courtroom," Trevor smiled as he put the conversation back on track. "So, why couldn't you place me?"
"I guess it was the absence of all of that goth punk emo stuff that you wore in high school," Liz admitted.
"Goth punk emo stuff? A real goth, punk, or emo kid would be very upset that you lumped all three of those together. But that would probably make a great band name. Goth Punk Emo, GPE. They would be the cutting edge of counter culture." Trevor laughed.
Yes, getting to know Trevor had been an interesting and rewarding experience. Before Liz knew it, she and Trevor were friends…and she was thinking maybe she wanted a little more than that. When faced with the question of what to do with her feelings, she did what she almost always did – ignored them until they went away. It worked with that 2L all those years ago. It sort of worked with the whole Edwin question. It probably would have worked with Jamie is she had stuck to her guns and he hadn't gone to Derek for help. And if Casey hadn't tried to help. Anytime Derek and Casey got into the mix of something, you never knew what you would get at the other end.
Regardless of whether her whole "ignore the butterflies" approach was working or not, she and Trevor had to travel to New York to do some business at the New York branch of the firm. When making travel plans, Liz opted not to stay at a hotel. Sure, the firm would cover it, but she rarely saw Casey anymore…and she thought talking with her sister about the latest development might help. After making sure it was okay with Casey and her husband, Liz made plans to stay with them while in New York, including meeting them for dinner after she finished up at the New York branch that night. She never really thought about what to do with Trevor at any point in her planning.
As Trevor and Liz were finishing up at the New York office for the day, Trevor turned to her and said, "So, what are we doing about dinner?"
"Oh! Oh, I have plans," she replied.
For a moment, it looked like Trevor's face fell a bit, but she was sure she imagined it, because after she blinked, Trevor just looked impassive. "Plans? Law school boyfriend meeting you here in the big city?"
Liz couldn't help it; she burst out laughing. "What law school boyfriend? I scared all of those pansy frat boys away, with my ability to out kick them in soccer and get a lower score than them in golf! And-"
"And?"
"And I might have been able to drink a few of them under the table – not that I did that often!" Liz was quick to add. "It's just there was a bar review party every freakin' week. You build up a tolerance."
"The people who edited the law journal at UVA partied that much?"
"Not that kind of bar review," Liz admitted. "For this bar review, someone in the law school would pick one of the nearby bars and all of the law students who wanted to go would show up to drink."
"Wow."
"I know," Liz conceded.
"Well, then, who are your plans with? Your father?" Trevor asked.
"No. Dad is in Switzerland, either at a conference or on vacation, I'm not sure. No. I'm having dinner with my sister in her husband."
"Think Casey and her hubby would mind one more?" Trevor asked.
Liz paused there, realizing two things very quickly. One, she had never told Trevor or anyone at the firm who her sister had married. Two, she was worried how Trevor would react to the information on who Casey had married. Liz wasn't sure if she was worried because she had fallen in the habit of protecting Casey, where she could, from closed-minded idiots, OR if she were worried how Trevor would treat her once he knew. Liz shrugged as she decided to share the truth. At least with the truth out, she wouldn't have to worry about how to react to random dinner invitations.
"Trevor…Casey married Derek," Liz said quietly.
"Derek?"
"Derek Venturi, yeah."
"Your stepbrother, Derek?" Trevor asked, with a strange note in his voice.
"Yes," Liz replied, ready to do battle to defend her sister and her brother.
Only to find it wasn't necessary, "Can't say I'm surprised. I got the feeling Derek was jealous all of those years ago."
"Wh-What?"
"He just seemed really determined to make sure I didn't go anywhere with Casey," Trevor shrugged.
"About that-"
"Oh, I know about the bet. Casey told me later. Her 'sense of honor' wouldn't let her keep it to herself. She did even try to put in a good word for me with Emily, when I mentioned my interest," Trevor smiled.
"Emily? Emily Davis? Really?" Liz was surprised at Trevor's choice of girl in high school. Not that Emily wasn't a great person, but she isn't someone she would have seen with goth emo punk Trevor. And then, there was this other feeling in Liz's stomach at Trevor mentioning an interest in the older girl. 'I'm not anything like Emily,' Liz thought…although she wasn't sure why she thought that or why the thought made her sad.
"Yeah, Emily. But gods, that was years ago. And, given she dated Sheldon for a while and then seriously dated Ralph, I get the feeling I wasn't her type."
Liz laughed, "Yeah. Somehow, I don't see you popping up out of nowhere or complimenting a girl on her shoes." After a pause, she went back to Trevor's earlier statement. "You said that Derek seemed really determined that you didn't go anywhere with Casey?"
Trevor shrugged. "Sure, there was the bet, but I always thought there was more to it than that. The boy even tried to throw together the right 'counterculture' look and tried to invite himself to a concert he thought I was asking Casey to. Nice that he finally realized his feelings. I take it they are happy."
Liz smiled, relieved that she wouldn't have to defend her sister and brother that night. "Sickeningly so, more often than not."
"Well, then. You need me to come to dinner with you so you can keep it down," Trevor insisted.
"Alright," Liz conceded.
Before she knew it, after calling her sister, she and Trevor were on their way to meet Mr. and Mrs. Venturi at Public. While she had told her sister that she was bringing someone with her, she hadn't shared who. Not that Casey didn't try to pull it out of her over the phone until Liz heard Derek in the distance say, "Case! You'll meet the guy in less than an hour. Now, let Liz go so we can all actually get to the restaurant."
Liz and Trevor arrived just a few minutes before Casey, so she was able to see her sister coming. "Liz!" Casey called when she saw her.
"Hi, Casey," Liz smiled as her sister swept her in a hug.
"Look at you! Looking all powerful and legal. Is that the green power suit we bought together the last time you were in New York?"
"Yes, but-"
"Ooo! It looks great on you. Do a spin so I can see the whole effect!"
"I'm not doing a spin for you in foyer of the restaurant, Casey," Liz insisted.
"Come on, Liz. I just what to see how the suit looks on you."
"Casey, it looks the same on her as it did in the store, I'm sure. Now, let your sister breathe," Derek interrupted as he joined the sisters. "Hey, Liz."
"Hey, Derek," Liz smiled…and waited a few beats before hugging him. He always half-heartedly tried to dodge her hugs, but Liz knew that the hugs mean a lot to him, especially given Edwin's general treatment of him.
"How's the legal world treating you, Liz? Still working to save the world?" he asked, after Liz backed away.
"Of course, in between pick-up soccer games, of course," Liz smiled.
"So, tell me all about things are going. Did you get your hair cut? And are those heels? –" Casey began again.
While Casey kept throwing questions at Liz, the babbling showing Casey's happiness at seeing her sister, Liz noticed Derek approach Trevor out of the corner of her eye. Deciding to be a bad sister for the moment, Liz tuned out Casey to focus on the interaction between the guys.
"So, you're the person Liz dragged with her?" Derek asked as he approached Trevor.
"Yeah," Trevor answered, trying not to smile.
"I'm her brother, Derek. How do you know Elizabeth?" Derek introduced himself, taking Trevor's hand and giving him what looked like a brutal shake.
"Most recently? We work together."
"'Most recently?' You've known her previously?" Derek responded with a raised eyebrow.
That was all it took for Trevor to burst out laughing. "Still protective of McDonald women, I see."
"Still protective? What-"
"Let me help you out. My name is Trevor. You, Casey, and I went to the same high school. I think I was even a subject of one of your bets?"
Derek stared at the other attorney for a few beats. Then, after uttering, "Holy shit," he started to laugh. "Hey, Case! You will not believe who our little Lizard is hanging out with these days."
"Huh?" Casey stopped mid- question and turned to face Derek and Trevor. Looking over at Trevor, she stared at him for a minute. "You look really familiar, but I can't seem to place you-"
"Your sister couldn't either," Trevor shared. "She said it was because I wasn't wearing all the goth emo punk stuff I wore in high school." At Casey's continued confused look, he said, "I'm Trevor."
"Trev-? Oh, my God!" Casey's eyes got big. "Wow. It's been years."
"It has."
"How do you know Liz?"
"He's one of the attorneys at the firm," Liz answered for Trevor.
"What a small world! I'll have to tell Emily that I saw you," Casey continued. She must have noticed that Liz became stiff after hearing that statement, because she shot Liz a look before returning to Trevor to hear his response.
"How is Emily, anyway?" Trevor asked
"A rather happy buyer for Ralph Lauren, actually," Casey shared.
"And she married my buddy Ralph, so she's like always calling Case."
"Emily married Ralph?" Trevor laughed.
"That was my reaction!" Derek shared. "But when I laughed, Casey hit me."
"Um…maybe we should get our table? I think we are holding up progress out here," Liz jumped in, really wanting to get off the topic of Emily, although she wasn't sure why.
Soon, the four were walking back to there table. Liz had wondered if Trevor would lead her to the table or continue to pump Casey for information on Emily, but she didn't get a change to find out, as Casey walked with her to the table, still talking her ear off. The males brought up the rear.
Dinner was surprisingly good…and surprising, in some ways. Casey had shared that this was a trendy place in the city. Derek had promised to run everyone by a local deli with good grape leaves and salads if the food was 'total crap'. For the most part, the conversation was light. Trevor and Derek, surprisingly enough, seemed to get along. That might because Trevor was smart enough to mention D-Rock, so Derek got to preen for half a second. As they were waiting for coffee, Liz excused herself to go the ladies room, and Casey decided to come with her – both of them ignoring Derek's "I still don't get why women have to go the restroom in packs."
As the two sisters stood facing the mirror, Casey finally asked, "So what's up, Liz?"
"Up? What do you mean?"
"Well, let's see. First, you decide to stay with me and Derek while in New York for business. Don't get me wrong, we are excited about having you, but you could have had the run of Dad's condo. And if you didn't want to do that, I'm sure the firm would have paid for hotel," Casey began.
"True, but I missed you two. And that doesn't mean-"
"Okay, but second, you bring Trevor to dinner with us."
"He needed to eat, too," Liz insisted.
"True, but if it was just bringing along a colleague for dinner, you would have told me his name over the phone when I asked," Casey pointed out.
Liz squirmed a bit. "I'm not sure that-"
"But what really did it for me, was that you completely froze on me when I mentioned Emily to Trevor."
"I was just noticing how long we were out there, impeding traffic-"
"Liz, this is me," Casey interrupted. "What is going on?"
Liz stared in the mirror for a few seconds, her own so-so reflection looking back at her. Turning to look at her sister, she found her self crumpling, "Oh, God."
"Liz?"
"Casey… I think I like him," she whispered.
"Trevor was a nice guy, even after finding out about the bet, true."
"No, Casey. I think I like like him. I think I…I think I might be in love with him," Liz corrected.
"Oh, Liz,"
"And I don't know what to do about it, okay? My love life has never gone well. I mean, I can usually just ignore this whole queasy stomach feeling-"
"How often have you ignored it, Liz?" Casey asked as she let her to the one chair in the restroom.
"Um, that 2L in law school. That science major at UT. Edwin-"
"Wait, Edwin?" Casey asked in shock.
"Yeah, but I think that was just the result of one of the soccer balls that hit me in the head."
"Okay," Casey nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"I probably would have ignored it with Jamie too, but he pushed Derek into in and you got into it and…well…"
"And it didn't end well," Casey observed. "But wait…by bringing Trevor to dinner, you realize that you are involving me and Derek again."
"I know. I don't think I did it on purpose. But I might I have. I-" Liz looked up at her big sister. "I'm a mess and I don't know what to do."
Casey pulled Liz out of the chair and gave her a hug. After a few moments, she said, "You need to talk to Trevor. Tell him how you feel."
"But I'm nothing like Emily. What if he doesn't like me?"
"Liz, you don't know until you ask. I have a feeling, if he invited himself to a family dinner, he has some feelings for you too," Casey insisted.
"But-"
"No buts. And you can't judge a guy based on the girls he liked his sophomore and junior year in high school. I'm nothing like Kendra or Sally, after all," Casey pointed out.
"But Derek was always in love with you, just in denial about it," Liz pointed out.
Casey laughed. "I don't quite think either of us believes that, but, even if that was true, Trevor didn't get a chance to really get to know you until now. I'm sure he's fallen for you now that he's worked with you. Because you are my amazing little sister. Derek would say it's because you are Venturi, at least in spirit, and Venturis always get what they want."
Liz laughed, "Derek is still Derek."
"Yeah, he is," Casey smiled. "And we should get back to the table before he wonders if we fell in."
When the sisters arrived back at the table, they noticed a smirking Derek and a subdued looking Trevor. "Derek, what did you do?" Liz and Casey asked at the same time.
"In stereo, even! See, Trevor, I told you that I am the master," Derek laughed.
"De-rek!" Casey began with a raised voice and eyebrow.
"It's okay, Casey. We just had a talk, is all," Trevor tried to reassure her.
"It better have just been a talk," Casey insisted as they sat.
Nothing much happened over coffee and dessert, but suddenly the night was over.
"I need to run by the firm and get my stuff," Liz shared. "I didn't want to lug it to dinner."
"I'll go with you to get it," Casey offered.
"That's okay, Casey. I just realized that I have to pick up something from the branch office as well. And the last thing we want to do is take two cars to the same place. I'll go with her," Trevor jumped in.
"But, she'll have to get to our place afterward, and I don't want you to have to go out of your way-" Casey began again.
"No, Derek mentioned the area where you live. The hotel where I'm staying isn't too far away from there. It would almost be on my way. I can drop Liz off on my way in for the night. I can even pick her up in the morning, minimize our carbon footprint and all that."
"Okay," Casey relented.
Before Liz knew it, after Derek and Trevor had a little conversation over who was picking up the check, she and Trevor were in a taxi heading back to the New York law offices.
"Thanks for letting me come to dinner, Liz," Trevor said quietly.
"Oh, you're welcome," Liz replied.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Trevor said "Liz" at the same time she said, "Trevor."
"Oh! I'm sorry," Liz said.
"No, that's okay. You go first." Trevor said.
"Well…it's just that. Okay," Liz took a deep breath. "I can do this. Trevor, I – I think, well…I don't bring many people to meet Casey and Derek."
"I noticed that. Around the office you just talk about your sister and her husband, as if you are trying to protect them."
Liz shrugged. "I probably am. But I don't usually bring people to meet them. And I know we work together and I'm nothing like Emily Davis, but-"
"Emily?" Trevor asked, sounding confused. "What does Emily have to do with anything?'
"It's just – just – okay, I think I like you and-" whatever else would have fallen out of Liz's mouth was stopped as Trevor leaned over to kiss her.
"I thought I was the only one feeling this way," Trevor said as Liz blinked up at him. "And, after Derek pulled the whole 'Dad with a shotgun' speech at dinner-"
"Derek threatened you?" Liz broke in.
"Hell yeah. He promised a world of hurt if you even look like you thought you might be unhappy."
Liz laughed.
"So…are we going to give us a try?" Trevor asked.
Liz smiled to herself. All those months ago she asked herself if she could ever love enough to stand up for her relationship against the odds. The biggest challenge to any relationship, when she thought about, was standing up to try a relationship in the beginning. And maybe, just maybe, she was stronger than she thought. "Yes. Yes, I think we are."
And as the taxi continued on into the night, Liz decided that kisses in the backseat were the most romantic thing in the world
- the end -
Okay, that was interesting, at least. And long for me. I think it ended up being more Dasey than anything else. Sorry about that. Prompt is below
Elizabeth McDonald is in her first year practicing law with a firm that works with environmentalist cases (protecting animals, forests, etc.) when she remeets a friend of her sister's (and another lawyer at the firm) who she hadn't thought of since the last time she saw him almost fourteen years earlier. Trevor/Lizzie.