1 Starting Over –3
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: This story is told from each of the characters' points of view. This may start out weird. But never fear, I'm a dreamer all the way (
1.1 Few weeks later
1.2 Liz
Today was going great. The last few weeks have been going well with Max and the others. I think Maria and Michael might actually get back together. Maria talks non-stop about Michael. Max complains that Michael talks too much about Maria. I'm happy for them. Really, I am.
Ding-dong. Oh the PA. "Can I have quiet please." I ask the class. They respond with quietness. They're being nice today. "Yes." I say loudly.
"Mrs. Tailner, you have a phone call in the office." The secretary said.
"Ok." I grabbed my purse quickly, opened the door connecting my class to the other biology class so the other teacher can keep an eye on them. I'm starting to panic. The office usually just takes my calls and then tells me them at lunch. Something wasn't right.
"Hello this is Elizabeth." I said into the phone.
"Hi, this is Miss Kathy, from Daniel's daycare." She said. She spoke in English so there mustn't be any kids around.
"Hi, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Daniel's sick, and he needs to go home. He has a 101 fever. Could you come get him please?" My head was reeling. He was fine this morning. What am I going to do? Ethan's out of town, Maria is at some convention, and Max. Max has a flexible schedule right now.
"Ok, can I get back to you in a few minutes? I need to make a call."
"Sure."
I dug around in my purse and found Max's work number. "Hi Max, are you busy right now?"
"No actually, I was going to go home for the day. There aren't any cases today." He said.
"Perfect. Could you do me a big favor?" Knowing his answer.
"Of Course."
"Could you pick up Daniel from school? He's sick and I can't as of now. So that would help me out so much." I said quickly.
"Sure, will they let me?" He asked. He was thrilled about picking him up.
"Yes, just have your ID. I'm calling over there right now to tell them your going to be picking him up."
"Ok, I'll be there in like fifteen minutes." He told me and then hung up. I went back to class.
1.3 Max
Why would she call me to pick him up? Well she must have had her reasons. I went to the daycare and walked inside.
"Hello, I'm Max Evans and I was sent to pick up Daniel Tailner. Elizabeth Tailner, his mother, sent me." I explained at the secretary's confused look.
"Can I see some ID please?" She asked.
"Certainly." I pulled it out to show to the woman behind the counter.
"Thank you. Debbie, can you please go get Daniel?"
I waited about five minutes before the woman called Debbie came back with a tired Daniel holding onto her hand. He was flushed he was obviously sick.
"Max? Where's Mommy?" He asked holding his hands up for me to hold him.
I took him in my arms. He was heavy, how did Liz hold him with such ease? "She's at work, she'll pick you up from my house after school ok?" I said quietly.
"Sì." He said quietly and was asleep.
1.4 Liz
I knocked on his apartment door. No one answered. I heard the TV on so I opened the door.
I walked in and glanced at the couch and there they were.
Daniel was lying on his tummy on Max's chest. He was clinging tightly to his shirt. Poor Max, he was going to have to iron that fifteen million times to get those wrinkles out. I walked over to Daniel and tried to lift him off.
"Nooo." Came the response.
"Max wake up." Liz gently nudged him. "Max!" She said sharply. He had always been a hard riser.
"I'm awake. Oh hi Liz. What are you doing here?" He was still not awake yet. "Oh yeah, let me get his stuff." He tried to move but couldn't with the weight on the chest.
I laughed and took Daniel into my arms so Max could move. He smiled and got his stuff.
He walked me to the door. "Thank you, very much, I" Oh My God, I almost told him I loved him. I haven't said that to Ethan in like forever, and here it comes so easily. Yes this was getting bad. "Appreciate it very much. I don't know what I would have done. Ethan's out of town." She said. And then opened the door.
"Yo quiero stay con Max." Daniel said in mixed Spanish and English.
"No pueda, por que Max tiene trabajo." I answered back. He needs to learn the difference.
" s'il vous plait" He said.
"I thought you were sick." I asked. I could still tell that he was. He was flushed and not just from sleep. It was the fever, and he was still burning in my arms.
"Its ok, he can stay. I've taken care of sick children before. Elizabeth got sick. She was more human when Evelyn, was more not." Was he actually talking about Elizabeth and Evelyn he has never done that.
"Oh." Was all I could say. "Well, actually it would help, I have a test that I promised to be graded yesterday, but I couldn't. I will bring clothes and pjs over later. Is that ok?"
"Yes, that would be fine." He said.
As I was about to walk out the door I turned and faced them both. I quickly kissed Daniel on his cheek and left before anything else happened.
God this was definitely turning bad.
1.5 Max
She trusted me with Daniel. She had before. But Daniel was never allowed to stay anywhere. Even when Maria offered to take him. Now she was allowing me.
And I had told her about Evelyn and Elizabeth. I never talked about them. Only with Isabel and Michael.
I turned when he heard the door open. "Hey Iz." I said calmly.
"Who's that?" She had never met Daniel.
"This is Daniel, Liz's son." I watched her look of confusion. "He was sick today and she needed me to pick him up. I did, now he doesn't want to go home." I explained.
"Oh, what about Ethan?" Isabel asked.
"Out of town." I said.
"She's there by herself?" She asked worriedly.
"Yes, why?" I asked, she stayed home alone by herself all the time.
"I don't think she should." Isabel said.
"Well, I can't ask her that won't be right." I said she had to understand. "She'll bring over his clothes later. If you call her she can bring hers too.
"I'll be here and she can stay in my room. With me. That way it won't be awkward. That way if Ethan asks then she can honestly say she stayed over with me." She said.
"Ok. Her number's in the address book by the phone." I told her. Oh crap. I had mistakenly put Liz under P for Parker. I hoped Isabel wouldn't mind or say anything. I would have to fix that.
"Max." Isabel said when I walked back in the room after laying Daniel down on the bed in my room. "Liz wants to speak with you." The words I really didn't want to here.
"Hello." I said carefully.
"Max, um, do you think that I should? I mean I've stayed by myself before, I'll be ok." She said shyly.
"If you want to come you know you are most welcome here. You don't have to worry that your not. I would actually prefer that you stay here." I was rambling. "I insist that you come. I have decided and I don't want you there alone." I said firmly, making it clear that she would come.
"Alright I'll come." She said softly. "Be there in few." She said and hung up the phone.
1.6 Isabel
Why do I feel there's something still there between Max and Liz? They are very casual around each other yet they never talked about Liz's marriage. Max was attached to Daniel, but Liz was married.
I hope I'm not making assumptions but I'm not liking Liz's husband too much. I know perfectly well, that women stay alone with their children all the time, but Ethan seemed to do it so often. Liz didn't even seem disturbed that he did.
Liz just got here. Max was once again holding Daniel because he was crying again. The way Liz stares at Max. There's something there. I just know it but I can't quite put my finger on it.
I hope, for Liz's sake, that what I suspect about Ethan is wrong. But in some ways I desperately hope that it is right.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Few years after college. This is an AU.
Authors' note: This story is told from each of the characters' points of view. This may start out weird. But never fear, I'm a dreamer all the way (
1.1 Few weeks later
1.2 Liz
Today was going great. The last few weeks have been going well with Max and the others. I think Maria and Michael might actually get back together. Maria talks non-stop about Michael. Max complains that Michael talks too much about Maria. I'm happy for them. Really, I am.
Ding-dong. Oh the PA. "Can I have quiet please." I ask the class. They respond with quietness. They're being nice today. "Yes." I say loudly.
"Mrs. Tailner, you have a phone call in the office." The secretary said.
"Ok." I grabbed my purse quickly, opened the door connecting my class to the other biology class so the other teacher can keep an eye on them. I'm starting to panic. The office usually just takes my calls and then tells me them at lunch. Something wasn't right.
"Hello this is Elizabeth." I said into the phone.
"Hi, this is Miss Kathy, from Daniel's daycare." She said. She spoke in English so there mustn't be any kids around.
"Hi, what's wrong?" I asked.
"Daniel's sick, and he needs to go home. He has a 101 fever. Could you come get him please?" My head was reeling. He was fine this morning. What am I going to do? Ethan's out of town, Maria is at some convention, and Max. Max has a flexible schedule right now.
"Ok, can I get back to you in a few minutes? I need to make a call."
"Sure."
I dug around in my purse and found Max's work number. "Hi Max, are you busy right now?"
"No actually, I was going to go home for the day. There aren't any cases today." He said.
"Perfect. Could you do me a big favor?" Knowing his answer.
"Of Course."
"Could you pick up Daniel from school? He's sick and I can't as of now. So that would help me out so much." I said quickly.
"Sure, will they let me?" He asked. He was thrilled about picking him up.
"Yes, just have your ID. I'm calling over there right now to tell them your going to be picking him up."
"Ok, I'll be there in like fifteen minutes." He told me and then hung up. I went back to class.
1.3 Max
Why would she call me to pick him up? Well she must have had her reasons. I went to the daycare and walked inside.
"Hello, I'm Max Evans and I was sent to pick up Daniel Tailner. Elizabeth Tailner, his mother, sent me." I explained at the secretary's confused look.
"Can I see some ID please?" She asked.
"Certainly." I pulled it out to show to the woman behind the counter.
"Thank you. Debbie, can you please go get Daniel?"
I waited about five minutes before the woman called Debbie came back with a tired Daniel holding onto her hand. He was flushed he was obviously sick.
"Max? Where's Mommy?" He asked holding his hands up for me to hold him.
I took him in my arms. He was heavy, how did Liz hold him with such ease? "She's at work, she'll pick you up from my house after school ok?" I said quietly.
"Sì." He said quietly and was asleep.
1.4 Liz
I knocked on his apartment door. No one answered. I heard the TV on so I opened the door.
I walked in and glanced at the couch and there they were.
Daniel was lying on his tummy on Max's chest. He was clinging tightly to his shirt. Poor Max, he was going to have to iron that fifteen million times to get those wrinkles out. I walked over to Daniel and tried to lift him off.
"Nooo." Came the response.
"Max wake up." Liz gently nudged him. "Max!" She said sharply. He had always been a hard riser.
"I'm awake. Oh hi Liz. What are you doing here?" He was still not awake yet. "Oh yeah, let me get his stuff." He tried to move but couldn't with the weight on the chest.
I laughed and took Daniel into my arms so Max could move. He smiled and got his stuff.
He walked me to the door. "Thank you, very much, I" Oh My God, I almost told him I loved him. I haven't said that to Ethan in like forever, and here it comes so easily. Yes this was getting bad. "Appreciate it very much. I don't know what I would have done. Ethan's out of town." She said. And then opened the door.
"Yo quiero stay con Max." Daniel said in mixed Spanish and English.
"No pueda, por que Max tiene trabajo." I answered back. He needs to learn the difference.
" s'il vous plait" He said.
"I thought you were sick." I asked. I could still tell that he was. He was flushed and not just from sleep. It was the fever, and he was still burning in my arms.
"Its ok, he can stay. I've taken care of sick children before. Elizabeth got sick. She was more human when Evelyn, was more not." Was he actually talking about Elizabeth and Evelyn he has never done that.
"Oh." Was all I could say. "Well, actually it would help, I have a test that I promised to be graded yesterday, but I couldn't. I will bring clothes and pjs over later. Is that ok?"
"Yes, that would be fine." He said.
As I was about to walk out the door I turned and faced them both. I quickly kissed Daniel on his cheek and left before anything else happened.
God this was definitely turning bad.
1.5 Max
She trusted me with Daniel. She had before. But Daniel was never allowed to stay anywhere. Even when Maria offered to take him. Now she was allowing me.
And I had told her about Evelyn and Elizabeth. I never talked about them. Only with Isabel and Michael.
I turned when he heard the door open. "Hey Iz." I said calmly.
"Who's that?" She had never met Daniel.
"This is Daniel, Liz's son." I watched her look of confusion. "He was sick today and she needed me to pick him up. I did, now he doesn't want to go home." I explained.
"Oh, what about Ethan?" Isabel asked.
"Out of town." I said.
"She's there by herself?" She asked worriedly.
"Yes, why?" I asked, she stayed home alone by herself all the time.
"I don't think she should." Isabel said.
"Well, I can't ask her that won't be right." I said she had to understand. "She'll bring over his clothes later. If you call her she can bring hers too.
"I'll be here and she can stay in my room. With me. That way it won't be awkward. That way if Ethan asks then she can honestly say she stayed over with me." She said.
"Ok. Her number's in the address book by the phone." I told her. Oh crap. I had mistakenly put Liz under P for Parker. I hoped Isabel wouldn't mind or say anything. I would have to fix that.
"Max." Isabel said when I walked back in the room after laying Daniel down on the bed in my room. "Liz wants to speak with you." The words I really didn't want to here.
"Hello." I said carefully.
"Max, um, do you think that I should? I mean I've stayed by myself before, I'll be ok." She said shyly.
"If you want to come you know you are most welcome here. You don't have to worry that your not. I would actually prefer that you stay here." I was rambling. "I insist that you come. I have decided and I don't want you there alone." I said firmly, making it clear that she would come.
"Alright I'll come." She said softly. "Be there in few." She said and hung up the phone.
1.6 Isabel
Why do I feel there's something still there between Max and Liz? They are very casual around each other yet they never talked about Liz's marriage. Max was attached to Daniel, but Liz was married.
I hope I'm not making assumptions but I'm not liking Liz's husband too much. I know perfectly well, that women stay alone with their children all the time, but Ethan seemed to do it so often. Liz didn't even seem disturbed that he did.
Liz just got here. Max was once again holding Daniel because he was crying again. The way Liz stares at Max. There's something there. I just know it but I can't quite put my finger on it.
I hope, for Liz's sake, that what I suspect about Ethan is wrong. But in some ways I desperately hope that it is right.