1 [b]Part 7A[/b]
She was still pondering the dream that was not quite a dream the next morning as she shifted from foot to foot, her hand reaching out to press the doorbell before falling back against her side. Absently, Liz rubbed at a slight headache at her temple, her eyes flying up as the door opened.
"What?" the occupant growled, his tone disgruntled and husky, obviously having just gotten out of bed. Liz fought to hide her grin at his more rumpled than usual appearance, and noted with relief that his spiked hair do had made a comeback, however briefly.
"Liz?" Michael said startled, before darting a quick glance over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"
Liz felt unsure of herself, her face flickering slightly with dismay. "I…" she started to say, uncomfortably.
"No!" Michael interrupted quickly, seeing the brief flash of hurt. "Liz, I didn't mean it like that…"
She smiled with relief that was tinged with sadness. "Its just that I don't have anyone else to talk to that would understand, or even believe, what I am just about to say." A movement behind Michael's shoulder startled her, and she couldn't help but try to glance over.
"Michael, who was that?" a feminine voice called and Liz peered over his shoulder to see Maria, clad in what appeared to be one of Michael's shirts. Startled, Maria gasped at the sight of her best friend and Michael shifted uncomfortably under Liz's knowing gaze.
"Hi, Liz," Maria said, raising a hand to wave as she grinned somewhat sheepishly.
"Hi, Maria," Liz responded. She walked through the door and allowed Michael to close it after her, his steps then taking him to Maria's side, where he looped an arm around her waist. Bending, he whispered to her softly before jerking his head toward the bathroom, obviously telling her that was where he was headed. Liz watched him go, envious of the intimacy she had obviously disturbed and saddened by the fact that Maria had not told her.
She knew that Maria did not deserve such censure. Their friendship had been one to be put on the backburner in light of everything that had been happening, and Liz now recognised that it had suffered as a result. There had been secrets Liz had kept from Maria out of necessity, just as Maria had done the same. She shook her head, and determined that from this point onwards, their friendship would regain and maintain the steady course it once had.
The two girls stood silently at Michael's departure, Liz glancing sideways out of the corner of her eyes while Maria studiously looked at the walls. The air thrummed uncomfortably as each girl tried to find something to say.
"I was staying at your place last night," Maria broke the ice abruptly, darting Liz a glance, as though uncertain.
Liz grinned, unable to fight it back in the face of Maria using the age-old excuse. "I figured that," she drawled slightly and both girls looked at each other and giggled, any thoughts of slight uncomfortableness forgotten as years of friendship rose to the surface. Liz sighed at the memories that coursed through her as Maria flung herself into Liz's arms for an exuberant hug.
"Liz, I can't believe how wonderful Michael is and how well this is working," she gushed happily, squeezing her friend as hard as she could.
Liz smiled warmly and responded in kind. "I'm happy for you, Maria. I really am."
Maria looked saddened, her arms dropping away as she stepped back. "I'm just sorry that you and Max…"
Liz smiled painfully. "Its okay. I guess...well, it doesn't matter now. I suppose the main thing is that we are going to remain friends." She could feel Maria's burning gaze upon her and would have grinned at the familiar feeling of it if her heart hadn't been twisting so painfully. Whenever the name "Max" was mentioned….
Sounds in the apartment broke her thoughts, indicating that Michael was returning, and Maria lent towards Liz quickly, her voice quiet. "Ice cream night, tonight. We will catch up."
Reaching over, Liz squeezed her hand and nodded. "On everything," she whispered back and raised her eyebrows, knowing that Maria could not mistake her meaning. They both giggled, as Maria blushed.
Michael walked back into the living room to discover his girlfriend and Liz clasping their stomachs as giggles erupted from their mouths. He rolled his eyes, but found himself grinning as he walked over and sat down, pulling Maria down with him. Taking his cue, Liz sat across from them.
"I had a dream last night."
The words were out before Liz really had a chance to form them, and the abruptness of them startled even herself. She watched as Michael's eyebrows shot up, and could almost hear his silent question of what did it have to do with them. She raised a hand before he could open his mouth, and spoke quickly.
"It was about Alex," Liz whispered, and heard Maria gasp. "At first I thought it was my own feelings of guilt that had made me dream of him, but I know…." She broke off from that train of thought, deciding to tell them of the dirt later. Her voice grew more urgent. "Maria, Michael, he was telling me something, something that I should know. The dream was confusing, yet also somewhat clear. It was as though a gateway…."
"A gateway for what?" Michael asked impatiently, unable to stop himself from interrupting.
Liz looked up, startled. She had not meant to say that, meant only to think it yet the words must have slipped out regardless. "To power," she finished uncomfortably, and shifted in her seat. She could recall everything in her dream with perfect clarity, except for that last image, the one that she had seen too briefly before falling into darkness. Her head dropped and her eyes closed as she tried to visualise it.
Michael looked concerned. "Liz, are you okay?" he asked, and felt Maria tense beside him.
Her head shot up, her eyes burning with a heat that made both Michael and Maria flinch back, her anger was so intense. "Michael, we have to get everyone together – and we have to go to the pod chamber. We have to go right now!"
She was still pondering the dream that was not quite a dream the next morning as she shifted from foot to foot, her hand reaching out to press the doorbell before falling back against her side. Absently, Liz rubbed at a slight headache at her temple, her eyes flying up as the door opened.
"What?" the occupant growled, his tone disgruntled and husky, obviously having just gotten out of bed. Liz fought to hide her grin at his more rumpled than usual appearance, and noted with relief that his spiked hair do had made a comeback, however briefly.
"Liz?" Michael said startled, before darting a quick glance over his shoulder. "What are you doing here?"
Liz felt unsure of herself, her face flickering slightly with dismay. "I…" she started to say, uncomfortably.
"No!" Michael interrupted quickly, seeing the brief flash of hurt. "Liz, I didn't mean it like that…"
She smiled with relief that was tinged with sadness. "Its just that I don't have anyone else to talk to that would understand, or even believe, what I am just about to say." A movement behind Michael's shoulder startled her, and she couldn't help but try to glance over.
"Michael, who was that?" a feminine voice called and Liz peered over his shoulder to see Maria, clad in what appeared to be one of Michael's shirts. Startled, Maria gasped at the sight of her best friend and Michael shifted uncomfortably under Liz's knowing gaze.
"Hi, Liz," Maria said, raising a hand to wave as she grinned somewhat sheepishly.
"Hi, Maria," Liz responded. She walked through the door and allowed Michael to close it after her, his steps then taking him to Maria's side, where he looped an arm around her waist. Bending, he whispered to her softly before jerking his head toward the bathroom, obviously telling her that was where he was headed. Liz watched him go, envious of the intimacy she had obviously disturbed and saddened by the fact that Maria had not told her.
She knew that Maria did not deserve such censure. Their friendship had been one to be put on the backburner in light of everything that had been happening, and Liz now recognised that it had suffered as a result. There had been secrets Liz had kept from Maria out of necessity, just as Maria had done the same. She shook her head, and determined that from this point onwards, their friendship would regain and maintain the steady course it once had.
The two girls stood silently at Michael's departure, Liz glancing sideways out of the corner of her eyes while Maria studiously looked at the walls. The air thrummed uncomfortably as each girl tried to find something to say.
"I was staying at your place last night," Maria broke the ice abruptly, darting Liz a glance, as though uncertain.
Liz grinned, unable to fight it back in the face of Maria using the age-old excuse. "I figured that," she drawled slightly and both girls looked at each other and giggled, any thoughts of slight uncomfortableness forgotten as years of friendship rose to the surface. Liz sighed at the memories that coursed through her as Maria flung herself into Liz's arms for an exuberant hug.
"Liz, I can't believe how wonderful Michael is and how well this is working," she gushed happily, squeezing her friend as hard as she could.
Liz smiled warmly and responded in kind. "I'm happy for you, Maria. I really am."
Maria looked saddened, her arms dropping away as she stepped back. "I'm just sorry that you and Max…"
Liz smiled painfully. "Its okay. I guess...well, it doesn't matter now. I suppose the main thing is that we are going to remain friends." She could feel Maria's burning gaze upon her and would have grinned at the familiar feeling of it if her heart hadn't been twisting so painfully. Whenever the name "Max" was mentioned….
Sounds in the apartment broke her thoughts, indicating that Michael was returning, and Maria lent towards Liz quickly, her voice quiet. "Ice cream night, tonight. We will catch up."
Reaching over, Liz squeezed her hand and nodded. "On everything," she whispered back and raised her eyebrows, knowing that Maria could not mistake her meaning. They both giggled, as Maria blushed.
Michael walked back into the living room to discover his girlfriend and Liz clasping their stomachs as giggles erupted from their mouths. He rolled his eyes, but found himself grinning as he walked over and sat down, pulling Maria down with him. Taking his cue, Liz sat across from them.
"I had a dream last night."
The words were out before Liz really had a chance to form them, and the abruptness of them startled even herself. She watched as Michael's eyebrows shot up, and could almost hear his silent question of what did it have to do with them. She raised a hand before he could open his mouth, and spoke quickly.
"It was about Alex," Liz whispered, and heard Maria gasp. "At first I thought it was my own feelings of guilt that had made me dream of him, but I know…." She broke off from that train of thought, deciding to tell them of the dirt later. Her voice grew more urgent. "Maria, Michael, he was telling me something, something that I should know. The dream was confusing, yet also somewhat clear. It was as though a gateway…."
"A gateway for what?" Michael asked impatiently, unable to stop himself from interrupting.
Liz looked up, startled. She had not meant to say that, meant only to think it yet the words must have slipped out regardless. "To power," she finished uncomfortably, and shifted in her seat. She could recall everything in her dream with perfect clarity, except for that last image, the one that she had seen too briefly before falling into darkness. Her head dropped and her eyes closed as she tried to visualise it.
Michael looked concerned. "Liz, are you okay?" he asked, and felt Maria tense beside him.
Her head shot up, her eyes burning with a heat that made both Michael and Maria flinch back, her anger was so intense. "Michael, we have to get everyone together – and we have to go to the pod chamber. We have to go right now!"
