Author's note: Sorry for the delay, here's the update.

Buffycoo999: Thank you for reviewing!

sleepy26: LOL, I can only imagine, for I've never been! I love that episode though, and I'm trying to bring this story to a close. Thanks for reviewing, let me know what you think!

KK: Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you liked it! Please, let me know what you think of this chapter.

P.Sawyer: Wow, thanks for the review, I'm really glad you like it. Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations.


Chapter Eleven

The day before they were scheduled to leave, Liz was still clueless about the Vegas trip. She was out her balcony writing in her journal, when she heard someone climbing up the ladder. She didn't really worry who it was because she wasn't talking to Michael. It had to either be Kyle or Alex because they were the only ones she stayed in contact with. The fact that Michael hadn't even apologized to her still smarted, but she wouldn't let it get in the way of her mission. Max had been trying to get her to hang out with him, like they were still good friends. He was severely mistaken, but he didn't seem to get that. She glanced over at the ladder and saw Alex's head. She started to smile, when she saw Michael next, followed by Maria, Isabel, Kyle, and Max. Liz stood up, and headed toward her window, but Isabel cut her off.

" Lizzie, don't make me melt the lock on your window, because I would so do that. We need to talk to you, and you're going to listen." Liz glared at all of them, but went to sit back in her lawn chair.

" What do you want?" Isabel looked at the group and motioned with her head for someone to start talking. Kyle stepped forward, being the designated speaker for the group.

" Well, we've got a trip coming up tomorrow, and we've come over to make sure that you're packed." Liz looked at Kyle like he'd grown an extra head.

" Okay, just because you guys are all buddy, buddy again, I'm not hanging out with you. I just don't think we mesh well as a group, and secretly you all agree with me." Maria took a deep breath and went to stand in front of Liz.

" Liz, I'm sorry that I said some mean things to you, I was really wrong. If you want to see Michael, then see Michael. You and I have been friends way too long to let some stupid boy...er alien come in between us." Liz smirked at Maria and stole a glance at Michael.

" Maria, believe me when I say, Michael and I are not, and will never be anything more then acquaintances. Even if I was to listen to this trip idea, what makes you think my parents would let me go?" They all glanced at each other and started giggling. It was Alex who began to speak.

" Liz, I already talked to your father, and he's cool with it. He thinks we're going on school trip, we even printed off a permission slip for him to sign. He also gave us money to hold for you." Liz stood up and put her hands on her hips.

" My father didn't even ask why I wasn't asking myself?" Isabel stood up then..had they all rehearsed what they were going to say to her?

" I told your dad that you wouldn't ask because of the money situation. I told him that you knew it was a lot of money for an airline ticket, and you didn't want to make him feel bad. So, not only did he fork money over for a plane ticket, but he also gave you spending money." Liz started nodding, and opened up the window for her room.

"Look, I know most of you mean well, but you can count me out of your little fun adventure. I just want to get through the next two years of school without any drama, so go...have fun." Before Isabel could get to her, Liz shut the door, locked it, and closed the curtains.

They all stared at the window in shock, not believing that she'd blow even Alex off. Isabel even threatened to open the window by force, but Liz only responded by turning her light off. They silently climbed off of the balcony and walked to Michael's apartment. When they got there, they all turned on him, and gave him some nasty looks. He thought they were just wanting some ideas on what to do next, until they started ignoring him, which made him angry.

" What the hell is your problem? You think it's my fault that she won't join your stupid plan to run off to Vegas?" Before anyone could speak, Maria was in his face.

" Of course it's your fault, you dumb ass! You're the only one who hasn't apologized for being an idiot! Liz stood in front of me and Max and defended your relationship, and you just stood there. Not only that, but you have yet to tell her you're sorry!" Michael sighed and sat down on the couch.

" I'm not good with talking to girls, Maria, and you know it." She sat down next to him and grinned.

" Believe me, Michael Guerin, I know this from personal experience. I also know that you can be really sweet when you want to be. So, we don't have time for you apologize tonight. What we're going to do is this: when Liz leaves for school tomorrow, and says goodbye for her dad, we'll kidnap her. He knows about the trip and everything, so we'll get her to call him once we're in the air. I'm sure she'll see to reason once we get her there." She looked around the room and waited for everyone to agree. When they did, she turned back to Michael with a scowl on her face.

" We're all going to be in our respective rooms. Sure, it's going to be guys with guys and girls with girls, but you need to apologize! There is going to be some serious couples there, except for Max and me. You need to grovel if you have to, I don't care, just make the girl smile!" With that she stood up and left Michael's apartment leaving the rest to follow her.

Liz came down from her room fully dressed, dreading the day already. She hadn't seen or spoken to any of the gang since she pretty much told them to leave her alone. The truth of it was, she hadn't been sleeping at all, and she was more then a little on edge. She went downstairs and saw that her father was in the back, so she said goodbye to him. He smiled, waved, and told her to have fun on her trip. Just when she was going to tell him she wasn't going, someone put their arms around her waist and started talking.

" Thanks, Mr. Parker, we're going to take good care of her. I really appreciate you letting us steal her for a few days." Her dad smiled at Michael, and looked like he approved of everything...including Michael's hands on her waist. Liz wanted to tell him to keep his hands off of her, but she'd really missed him. He guided her out of the restaurant and took his sweet time in letting her go. Liz turned to say something to him when she saw everyone outside. Alex, Isabel, and Kyle all had smiles on their faces. She Maria, however, was nowhere to be found, which Alex spoke up to answer the unspoken question.

" Maria is up in your room, packing some clothes and personal things for you. We would have asked you to do it, but you wouldn't have come back out. So, as soon as she gets out, we're off to the airport." Liz looked at them incredulously. Had her friends really and completely lost their minds?

" What the hell has gotten into you guys? You're seriously going to resort to kidnaping me?" Isabel stepped forward with sort of a sad look on her face.

" Look, we don't want our friendship with you to be gone. I know you say you're not mad at me, but you haven't spoken to me either. Your father knows that we're not taking you on a school trip, we just didn't want you to freak out even more. We told him that we wanted to thank you for your help on a test, and that we're taking you to Santa Fe." Liz chuckled and shook her head.

" You honestly think he believed that?" Max sighed because he was getting a little frustrated with her.

" Who cares if he believed it or not, Liz, he's giving us permission to take you, so we're going to take advantage." Liz was already shaking her head when Maria walked out of the building with two huge bags.

" Don't you dare shake your head, Liz, you're going! It's bad enough I had to double pack for you, since you wouldn't pack for yourself, but we have to leave or we're going to be late." Liz started to object again, but they just grabbed her arms and picked her up. Michael and Kyle walked Liz to their car, which wasn't too far off. Isabel got behind the wheel and started the engine. Maria got into the car with them, while Michael, Alex, Max, and Kyle got into Kyle's car.

When they got to the airport, they were already announcing their flight, so they had to run. Michael decided that Liz wasn't going fast enough, so he picked her up and ran with her. They got a lot of looks from people who were smiling and pointing. Liz was too flustered to make any protest at all, and she figured that was why Michael had done it. They were doing the last boarding, by the time they got up to the gate. They'd been able to check their bags, so when they got to the gate, they were just able to board. Thankfully, Liz didn't make a fuss as she handed the flight attendant her ticket. She also wasn't speaking to absolutely anyone now, not even Alex. By the time the airplane was taking off, everyone was settled and waiting for her to say something.

Liz was in her own world, daydreaming about being able to sleep. She knew that the others only meant well, but she was tired of being wrapped up in all of the drama. They were taking her to Las Vegas? Didn't they remember what happened the last time they skipped off to Vegas? She was sitting on the left side of the plane, next to the window. Unfortunately, Michael had chosen the seat next to her, and she was still pissed off at him. He hadn't had a problem when it came to talking about telling their friends about them, but when it actually happened, he'd just stood there. She chose to ignore him when the remove seatbelt light came on. She resigned herself to just looking out the window, when she heard him clear his throat. She turned to look at him, and saw him looking at her expectantly.

" Don't expect me to say thank you, Michael, it's not going to happen." He sighed and turned in his chair to face her.

" Liz, listen okay? I'm really sorry about what happened in the Crashdown. It wasn't that I was ashamed or trying to hide our relationship, I was kind of in awe of you. You were staring down the whole group, giving them this big speech about us, and you were beautiful." Liz scoffed at him disbelievingly.

" If that was true, why didn't you tell me this sooner? I'm sure I would have been receptive to the idea of you liking my attitude or something lame like that." Liz was shocked when she saw Michael Guerin, bad ass alien, blush up to the roots of his hair.

" I've never been good with talking to girls, especially when it comes to apologizing. I'm just not real good with forming the words that need to be said." Liz normally wouldn't have believed the line, but he looked really embarrassed.

" Michael, I thought you were comfortable talking to me. You've always seemed so confident when you were talking to me." He just leaned closer to her and grinned.

" I've never been comfortable when it comes to you, Liz Parker. Even when you were dating Max, I've always found myself uneasy around you, and I don't know why." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. As soon as her lips touched his, though, Liz's mind was filled with a horrible picture of Alex being killed again.