Part 1 – London, during the reign of Elizabeth II
Liz beamed as she stepped out of King's Cross Station in London. She squeezed Max's hand and gestured to the McDonald's visible from the exit.
"There's the McDonald's, Max. I thought you were hungry." She tugged at his hand as he stood and simply gazed at their surroundings. Max shook himself imperceptibly to all but Liz and turned his gaze to Liz's smiling face.
"I am, Liz. But I think I could have survived all the way to Piccadilly Circus, where I'm sure there are other places to eat."
"Well I wanted to see the outside of King's Cross and St. Pancras anyway, they're such beautiful old buildings. The Mickey D's is right there; we might as well go. Anyway, if we go to a fast food joint we'll have more time to play tourist ourselves before we have to meet up with everybody else."
"Okay, you win," Max conceded, laughing as Liz tugged him towards the crosswalk.
Max and Liz were on a spring trip to England with Michael, Maria, and Kyle. They had a couple hours to themselves before meeting with the rest of the group for dinner and show on the West End, London's equivalent of New York's Broadway. Michael and Maria had wanted to see Trafalgar Square and Kyle had elected to take a nap in the hotel. The group had invited Jesse and Isabel to come, but they had declined. Max and Liz were on their own, their plan being to take the tube to Piccadilly Circus, take touristy photos at the fountain with the statue of Eros, and then stroll down Regent Street and window shop.
After staying in the McDonald's slightly longer than expected due to the huge crowd that always seemed to be present anywhere in London, they returned to King's Cross Station to figure out which train to take to Piccadilly Circus. They were standing to the side of one of the walkways pouring over the little pop-out map of the London Underground Max had bought one of the little news stands that are common in the tube stations.
"I'm telling you, Max. We take the blue line!"
"Liz, there are two blue lines. The Victoria line and the Piccadilly line."
"All right, the Piccadilly line then." Max studied the map a second longer.
"That seems to be the most direct route." Liz hit Max lightly on the shoulder.
"You dumb man! I don't think it's called the Piccadilly line for nothing! Now, how do we get to our train?" Max glanced up at the direction signs hanging from the ceiling.
"We follow the signs." He pointed toward the sign and then took Liz's hand in his and guided her unerringly to the correct platform.
"Damn, you're good at that," she commented as they strode onto the platform just as the next train pulled in. They were lucky and found two empty seats together. They didn't talk much on the way to Piccadilly. They were content just to be together on that train, without people or destinies between them.
When the train pulled into the station, they hurried out to the street above. They splashed in the fountain and took their pictures, then set off down Regent Street hand in hand. Liz would stop every couple of shops and drag Max into the store. She made him try on jeans at the Gap and silly hats at the Disney Store. He bought her a plaid skirt from a store that sold only real Scottish tartan plaids. She bought him a stuffed Marvin the Martian at the Warner Bros. Store. They wandered aimlessly up and down Regent Street, just having fun and being together.
Hours later, they met with Michael, Maria, and Kyle back at the hotel. Liz and Maria traded shopping bags and compared loot while Max and Michael informed Kyle that he was very lucky he didn't have a girlfriend that he was required to spend money on.
"Sure she bought me a present, Kyle," Max explained, "but I paid for lunch, a more expensive present, and the taxi ride here."
"You actually rode in a taxi? Through the London streets?" Michael looked at Max incredulously. "You're a brave man, Maxwell."
"What's the matter with the taxis?" Kyle asked perplexedly.
"It's not the taxis that are the problem, it's the way people drive in this city!" Michael exclaimed. "It's pure chaos…I'll take the subway any day!"
"Michael! How many times have I told you that here it's called the Underground! Here a subway is a pedestrian walkway below the street!" Maria's voice was soft and gently teasing, but Michael sighed theatrically anyway.
"Do you see what I put up with?" he groaned. Kyle's grin flashed.
"I see it, man. Boy am I glad I don't have to put up with that!"
Max glanced at his watch.
"Hey, if we want to be on time for the show, we should probably head out to eat in about twenty minutes."
The girls' heads snapped up.
"WHAT?" they exclaimed together.
"Why didn't you tell us that twenty minutes ago?" demanded Maria.
"Because then it would have been in about forty minutes?" Michael suggested.
Maria sent and acid look Michael's way then dragged Liz through the door that connected the boys and girls' rooms.
Twenty-five minutes later the group was climbing into a London cab.
"I don't know how you guys talked me into this," Michael muttered. "It's not like I have a death wish or anything."
"Michael, we aren't going to die," Maria said matter-of-factly. "And anyway, I think it will be fun. WHOA!" The exclamation escaped her lips as the cab hurled itself away from the curb and onto the busy London streets.
A scant ten minutes later the cabbie dropped them off at a small pub a block and a half down from the theatre. The group filed into the pub and sat down to eat. They enjoyed their meals and got to the play on time. After the play, they took another short yet wild cab ride back to the hotel. They sat in the boys' room and discussed their upcoming plans.
"Max and I were thinking of taking a trip down to Stonehenge tomorrow," Liz began. "We might have to stay in a B&B down there for a night, but we might not. Anybody want to come?"
Maria glanced at Michael and then replied,
"Michael and I were actually going to indulge Michael and spend the day at Sega World and Legoland. He's such a child, but I'm humoring him."
Liz smiled and looked toward Kyle.
"No, I'd rather not be the third wheel, thanks. I'll just do some exploring by myself."
"Okay then." Liz stood up and crossed to the door that connected the boys' room with the girls' room. "Max and I have to leave pretty early tomorrow, so I want to get to bed early." She leaned down to Max, who was sitting in an armchair by the door. "I love you," she whispered, then kissed his cheek and slipped through the door.
Maria squeezed Michael's hand and kissed his cheek before murmuring goodnight to Max and Kyle and following Liz into their room.
Kyle got up from the floor in front of the small television in the room and headed towards the bathroom. As he passed Max, he gave him a hearty smack on the shoulder.
"Might have to stay in a B&B for a night, huh? You're a lucky man, Max Evans. A lucky man."
Max glanced helplessly at Michael, who simply smirked, rolled over, and went to sleep.
Liz beamed as she stepped out of King's Cross Station in London. She squeezed Max's hand and gestured to the McDonald's visible from the exit.
"There's the McDonald's, Max. I thought you were hungry." She tugged at his hand as he stood and simply gazed at their surroundings. Max shook himself imperceptibly to all but Liz and turned his gaze to Liz's smiling face.
"I am, Liz. But I think I could have survived all the way to Piccadilly Circus, where I'm sure there are other places to eat."
"Well I wanted to see the outside of King's Cross and St. Pancras anyway, they're such beautiful old buildings. The Mickey D's is right there; we might as well go. Anyway, if we go to a fast food joint we'll have more time to play tourist ourselves before we have to meet up with everybody else."
"Okay, you win," Max conceded, laughing as Liz tugged him towards the crosswalk.
Max and Liz were on a spring trip to England with Michael, Maria, and Kyle. They had a couple hours to themselves before meeting with the rest of the group for dinner and show on the West End, London's equivalent of New York's Broadway. Michael and Maria had wanted to see Trafalgar Square and Kyle had elected to take a nap in the hotel. The group had invited Jesse and Isabel to come, but they had declined. Max and Liz were on their own, their plan being to take the tube to Piccadilly Circus, take touristy photos at the fountain with the statue of Eros, and then stroll down Regent Street and window shop.
After staying in the McDonald's slightly longer than expected due to the huge crowd that always seemed to be present anywhere in London, they returned to King's Cross Station to figure out which train to take to Piccadilly Circus. They were standing to the side of one of the walkways pouring over the little pop-out map of the London Underground Max had bought one of the little news stands that are common in the tube stations.
"I'm telling you, Max. We take the blue line!"
"Liz, there are two blue lines. The Victoria line and the Piccadilly line."
"All right, the Piccadilly line then." Max studied the map a second longer.
"That seems to be the most direct route." Liz hit Max lightly on the shoulder.
"You dumb man! I don't think it's called the Piccadilly line for nothing! Now, how do we get to our train?" Max glanced up at the direction signs hanging from the ceiling.
"We follow the signs." He pointed toward the sign and then took Liz's hand in his and guided her unerringly to the correct platform.
"Damn, you're good at that," she commented as they strode onto the platform just as the next train pulled in. They were lucky and found two empty seats together. They didn't talk much on the way to Piccadilly. They were content just to be together on that train, without people or destinies between them.
When the train pulled into the station, they hurried out to the street above. They splashed in the fountain and took their pictures, then set off down Regent Street hand in hand. Liz would stop every couple of shops and drag Max into the store. She made him try on jeans at the Gap and silly hats at the Disney Store. He bought her a plaid skirt from a store that sold only real Scottish tartan plaids. She bought him a stuffed Marvin the Martian at the Warner Bros. Store. They wandered aimlessly up and down Regent Street, just having fun and being together.
Hours later, they met with Michael, Maria, and Kyle back at the hotel. Liz and Maria traded shopping bags and compared loot while Max and Michael informed Kyle that he was very lucky he didn't have a girlfriend that he was required to spend money on.
"Sure she bought me a present, Kyle," Max explained, "but I paid for lunch, a more expensive present, and the taxi ride here."
"You actually rode in a taxi? Through the London streets?" Michael looked at Max incredulously. "You're a brave man, Maxwell."
"What's the matter with the taxis?" Kyle asked perplexedly.
"It's not the taxis that are the problem, it's the way people drive in this city!" Michael exclaimed. "It's pure chaos…I'll take the subway any day!"
"Michael! How many times have I told you that here it's called the Underground! Here a subway is a pedestrian walkway below the street!" Maria's voice was soft and gently teasing, but Michael sighed theatrically anyway.
"Do you see what I put up with?" he groaned. Kyle's grin flashed.
"I see it, man. Boy am I glad I don't have to put up with that!"
Max glanced at his watch.
"Hey, if we want to be on time for the show, we should probably head out to eat in about twenty minutes."
The girls' heads snapped up.
"WHAT?" they exclaimed together.
"Why didn't you tell us that twenty minutes ago?" demanded Maria.
"Because then it would have been in about forty minutes?" Michael suggested.
Maria sent and acid look Michael's way then dragged Liz through the door that connected the boys and girls' rooms.
Twenty-five minutes later the group was climbing into a London cab.
"I don't know how you guys talked me into this," Michael muttered. "It's not like I have a death wish or anything."
"Michael, we aren't going to die," Maria said matter-of-factly. "And anyway, I think it will be fun. WHOA!" The exclamation escaped her lips as the cab hurled itself away from the curb and onto the busy London streets.
A scant ten minutes later the cabbie dropped them off at a small pub a block and a half down from the theatre. The group filed into the pub and sat down to eat. They enjoyed their meals and got to the play on time. After the play, they took another short yet wild cab ride back to the hotel. They sat in the boys' room and discussed their upcoming plans.
"Max and I were thinking of taking a trip down to Stonehenge tomorrow," Liz began. "We might have to stay in a B&B down there for a night, but we might not. Anybody want to come?"
Maria glanced at Michael and then replied,
"Michael and I were actually going to indulge Michael and spend the day at Sega World and Legoland. He's such a child, but I'm humoring him."
Liz smiled and looked toward Kyle.
"No, I'd rather not be the third wheel, thanks. I'll just do some exploring by myself."
"Okay then." Liz stood up and crossed to the door that connected the boys' room with the girls' room. "Max and I have to leave pretty early tomorrow, so I want to get to bed early." She leaned down to Max, who was sitting in an armchair by the door. "I love you," she whispered, then kissed his cheek and slipped through the door.
Maria squeezed Michael's hand and kissed his cheek before murmuring goodnight to Max and Kyle and following Liz into their room.
Kyle got up from the floor in front of the small television in the room and headed towards the bathroom. As he passed Max, he gave him a hearty smack on the shoulder.
"Might have to stay in a B&B for a night, huh? You're a lucky man, Max Evans. A lucky man."
Max glanced helplessly at Michael, who simply smirked, rolled over, and went to sleep.