1 Starting Over-11
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 Liz
Bringing Daniel home took forever. First we had to sign him out. Then they needed to explain to us his medications. Then we had to wait in a line for a half an hour so we could get the medications. Then we got to bring him home. By this time its past 8:00 in the evening. I'm glad it's a Friday night. I have lots of time to talk to Max.
I'm determined to talk to Max. Isabel went out for the night. She had some date. Daniel is going to bed. This is going to be my first night at home since Saturday night. Did I just refer to this as home? I actually think I did. I hope Max will let me.
"Max?" I called from the bedroom doorway.
"I'll be out in a second." We had decided that we would just hang out tonight at home.
I finished pulling on my cotton flannel bottoms and plain white t-shirt. It was the most comfortable. I pulled my hair back in a messy bun. I'm ready for just a night at home.
There it goes again.
I go and find some popcorn in the kitchen cupboard. I'm surprised that Isabel allows the stuff in the house. I put it in the microwave and go pick out a movie. Perfect. I go and retrieve the popcorn from the microwave and sit down on the couch my feet tucked up underneath me as they were before.
"Hey." He comes out smiling. He automatically turns the TV on and sits down comfortably next to me.
"Max." I say about a half an hour into the movie.
"Hmm?" He asks.
"Can I ask you a question?" I ask already know he what his answer will be.
He pauses the movie. "Sure. Anything you want."
"Ok. I'm going to talk, but don't interrupt me until I finish. Ok." I look at him with expecting eyes.
"Fine." He agrees obviously it was something that took courage to say.
"Ok. About us. Is there an Us? Ethan asked me that today. I wanted so bad to tell him that we were. I want you and me to be an Us. Why? Because I still love you from before." I finish.
He just stares at me. I can't read his expression. What does his silence mean?
1.2 Max
She just confessed that she still loves me. She risked everything. Her self dignity, her pride, her trust. It would just be wrong not to respond as I should. I should just tell her I love her.
"I love you." I say and do what I just got a taste of last week. I kiss her. She kisses me back. We're back where we used to be. Where would we go from here.
"Liz." I say as I pull my lips reluctantly from hers.
"Yes?" She crawls into my lap, and leans her head on my chest, where she still fits perfectly as she always had before.
"We can't do this until the divorce is final." I say. I feel her tense and then relax.
"How long will that take?" She asks.
"The marriage is officially over once you and the judge both sign the papers." He smiles. "So whenever he signs then you are no longer married." I say and hug her.
"But I-I do want to be married." She says quietly.
I tense. "What do you mean you want to be married?" I asked.
"I want to be married. But only, and only if, its to you." She said.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" I ask jokingly.
"No." She says a smile spreading across her face.
"Fine, let me do the honors. Liz, will you marry me?" I ask quietly.
"Yes, of course, all you had to do was ask." She says and leans up and places a kiss teasingly on my lips.
"That's not fair." I say trying to claim what will soon be rightfully mine.
"Sure it is." She says and once again lays her head on my chest.
1.3 Isabel
I came home to find Liz sprawled across my brother on the couch. They were both fully dressed but I was still surprised. If this keeps up I might have a new nephew.
I walk over quietly to find a blanket and cover them. They will be awake before Daniel they always are. Well I'll let them deal with this. From the looks of things they already have without help from Maria or me.
1.4 Liz
The funniest thing happened today when I was trying to get Daniel to come to the mall.
"Daniel come on let's go." I say from the doorway. Isabel's lucky and got a head start at the mall.
"No." He says from the living room where he has currently parked himself in Max's lap. This morning was awkward but hey, we'll get used to it.
"Daniel we're going shopping." I say firmly.
"Max, please don't make me go. I don't want to go again." She says.
"Liz, he's not going." Max calls back.
"What!?" I was shocked.
"I won't have my son going to mall every Saturday when he could be at home spending the day wasting away on the couch like a real man should. Right buddy?" Max called.
"Right." Daniel agrees. Did he just call Daniel 'my son?' He wants Daniel to be his son? I walk into the living room and look at Max. He stands up ready to protect Daniel with a playful smile on his face.
"D-Did you just call him 'your son.?" I ask.
"Um, I guess I did. I'm sorry, I know he's not but, I'm sorry Liz." He tries to apologize.
I run and give him a hug.
"Don't apologize. Of course he can be your son. He'll be our son." I said into his chest. Tears sprang to my eyes. Someone wanted Daniel as their son. Of course it would be Max.
"Really. Like legally?" He asked hesitantly. "Sure I wouldn't mind if he wasn't legally." He says.
"Of course legally." I cry. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Mommy, don't cry. I'll go. I'll go get my coat." He starts to the room.
"No, no, sweet. Its not you. I think I can go by myself today." I pull away from Max.
"Really!" He says excitedly.
"Yes. Isabel's there somewhere she'll help me." I joke.
"Ok." He goes and sits on the couch again.
I give Max a kiss and continue on to the mall.
(Don't we all love joyful reunions?)
tbc
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 Liz
Bringing Daniel home took forever. First we had to sign him out. Then they needed to explain to us his medications. Then we had to wait in a line for a half an hour so we could get the medications. Then we got to bring him home. By this time its past 8:00 in the evening. I'm glad it's a Friday night. I have lots of time to talk to Max.
I'm determined to talk to Max. Isabel went out for the night. She had some date. Daniel is going to bed. This is going to be my first night at home since Saturday night. Did I just refer to this as home? I actually think I did. I hope Max will let me.
"Max?" I called from the bedroom doorway.
"I'll be out in a second." We had decided that we would just hang out tonight at home.
I finished pulling on my cotton flannel bottoms and plain white t-shirt. It was the most comfortable. I pulled my hair back in a messy bun. I'm ready for just a night at home.
There it goes again.
I go and find some popcorn in the kitchen cupboard. I'm surprised that Isabel allows the stuff in the house. I put it in the microwave and go pick out a movie. Perfect. I go and retrieve the popcorn from the microwave and sit down on the couch my feet tucked up underneath me as they were before.
"Hey." He comes out smiling. He automatically turns the TV on and sits down comfortably next to me.
"Max." I say about a half an hour into the movie.
"Hmm?" He asks.
"Can I ask you a question?" I ask already know he what his answer will be.
He pauses the movie. "Sure. Anything you want."
"Ok. I'm going to talk, but don't interrupt me until I finish. Ok." I look at him with expecting eyes.
"Fine." He agrees obviously it was something that took courage to say.
"Ok. About us. Is there an Us? Ethan asked me that today. I wanted so bad to tell him that we were. I want you and me to be an Us. Why? Because I still love you from before." I finish.
He just stares at me. I can't read his expression. What does his silence mean?
1.2 Max
She just confessed that she still loves me. She risked everything. Her self dignity, her pride, her trust. It would just be wrong not to respond as I should. I should just tell her I love her.
"I love you." I say and do what I just got a taste of last week. I kiss her. She kisses me back. We're back where we used to be. Where would we go from here.
"Liz." I say as I pull my lips reluctantly from hers.
"Yes?" She crawls into my lap, and leans her head on my chest, where she still fits perfectly as she always had before.
"We can't do this until the divorce is final." I say. I feel her tense and then relax.
"How long will that take?" She asks.
"The marriage is officially over once you and the judge both sign the papers." He smiles. "So whenever he signs then you are no longer married." I say and hug her.
"But I-I do want to be married." She says quietly.
I tense. "What do you mean you want to be married?" I asked.
"I want to be married. But only, and only if, its to you." She said.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" I ask jokingly.
"No." She says a smile spreading across her face.
"Fine, let me do the honors. Liz, will you marry me?" I ask quietly.
"Yes, of course, all you had to do was ask." She says and leans up and places a kiss teasingly on my lips.
"That's not fair." I say trying to claim what will soon be rightfully mine.
"Sure it is." She says and once again lays her head on my chest.
1.3 Isabel
I came home to find Liz sprawled across my brother on the couch. They were both fully dressed but I was still surprised. If this keeps up I might have a new nephew.
I walk over quietly to find a blanket and cover them. They will be awake before Daniel they always are. Well I'll let them deal with this. From the looks of things they already have without help from Maria or me.
1.4 Liz
The funniest thing happened today when I was trying to get Daniel to come to the mall.
"Daniel come on let's go." I say from the doorway. Isabel's lucky and got a head start at the mall.
"No." He says from the living room where he has currently parked himself in Max's lap. This morning was awkward but hey, we'll get used to it.
"Daniel we're going shopping." I say firmly.
"Max, please don't make me go. I don't want to go again." She says.
"Liz, he's not going." Max calls back.
"What!?" I was shocked.
"I won't have my son going to mall every Saturday when he could be at home spending the day wasting away on the couch like a real man should. Right buddy?" Max called.
"Right." Daniel agrees. Did he just call Daniel 'my son?' He wants Daniel to be his son? I walk into the living room and look at Max. He stands up ready to protect Daniel with a playful smile on his face.
"D-Did you just call him 'your son.?" I ask.
"Um, I guess I did. I'm sorry, I know he's not but, I'm sorry Liz." He tries to apologize.
I run and give him a hug.
"Don't apologize. Of course he can be your son. He'll be our son." I said into his chest. Tears sprang to my eyes. Someone wanted Daniel as their son. Of course it would be Max.
"Really. Like legally?" He asked hesitantly. "Sure I wouldn't mind if he wasn't legally." He says.
"Of course legally." I cry. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Mommy, don't cry. I'll go. I'll go get my coat." He starts to the room.
"No, no, sweet. Its not you. I think I can go by myself today." I pull away from Max.
"Really!" He says excitedly.
"Yes. Isabel's there somewhere she'll help me." I joke.
"Ok." He goes and sits on the couch again.
I give Max a kiss and continue on to the mall.
(Don't we all love joyful reunions?)
tbc