Author: Jade Unicorn
Title: When The Thunder Rolls (Part Five)
Rating: PG13
E-mail: tenryu@excite.com
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/weird2/tigerwolf
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters; I'm just using them for fun. I'll put them back when I'm done, promise. And I don't own the song "Here Without You" it belongs to 3 Doors Down from their new album "Away From the Sun."
Another Note: I'm sorry about it taking so long to write this chapter. I'm having a rough time getting through it because it's very close to home for me. Some of this I actually went through, the rejection of my parents. And I keep writing and rewriting hoping to make it better.

Lizzie sat by the bedside of the black haired girl. She stroked the unmoving hand within hers waiting for a sign of consciousness from the girl. Sighing deeply, Lizzie took a look at the clock that hung on the wall. It had been less than ten minutes since Miranda had passed out in the cafeteria but it felt like days to the blonde.

The sound of a deep breath being taken in brought her out of her thoughts Miranda was waking up. Unsteadily Miranda tried to sit up to face the world, even though at this exact time she couldn't remember what had happened. Gently Lizzie pushed her back down on the bed.

"Just wait a minute. Rest for a while and then you can get up." Her voice was soothing, calming.

"L-Liz-Lizzie? What are you doing here?" Her voice was slightly hoarse. Memories came back to her and it then smacked her in the face so to speak. "Oh god." She groaned and tightly shut her eyes. "I just told the whole school that I loved you didn't I?"

Thinking of how to answer it correctly Lizzie stated. "You did. But it was a brave thing to do."

Silence fell between them for a while. It was a comfortable thing though, no need to say anything or mention the 'accident' in the cafeteria. Not thinking, Lizzie grabbed Miranda's hand and intertwined their fingers. It was more of a sign of friendship and worry than a sign of love.

"Did you mean it?" Lizzie modestly asked.

"That I loved you?" Miranda questioned just to be sure that she knew what was going on. When Lizzie nodded she continued. "Yes I did. I never meant to hurt you." She scoffed and stared at the ceiling. "It's ironic you know."

"What is?" Everything was said with ease like they had all the time in the world. They took their time to say each word like it was the greatest thing ever said.

"I hurt you because I didn't want anybody to know that I was gay and then I turn right around today and did the one thing that I was afraid of doing, outing myself to the whole school."

"Miss Sanchez, are you ready to go home?" A school nurse asked from the door. "Your parents are here to take you home. And your parents will be taking you too Miss McGuire, so get your things."


The car ride was silent. The silence was so painful that Lizzie felt like opening the door and risking jumping out. She could see her father's knuckles were white where he was gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her parents never said much to her once they got into the car. What had they heard that caused them to act like this?

Pulling up in the driveway, Lizzie's heart started pounding in her chest, something was wrong. Nobody moved towards the doors of the car.

"Lizzie..." Jo's exasperated voice said in a sigh. "Do you care to explain what happened today?"

Slightly confused, but knowing what was going on, Lizzie tried to delay the conversation as much as possible. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about..." Jo turned around in the seat to face her daughter with angry eyes. "You and Miranda's little affair. It seems that everybody knows that you two are an item except for your own parents!"

"Mom, don't yell at me. Okay, I'm having a rough time with this so excuse me if I don't divulge every little secret and every little thing that I'm thinking about to you!" She was beyond caring what her parents thought. It didn't matter anyways, all she cared about was finding a way out of the car and running far away from this.

"Don't you dare take that kind of tone with her!" Sam turned with a yell.

She felt like she was being ganged up on. Reaching for the handle of the door, she heard the locks click.

"You're not going anywhere until we talk this out." Even though she was still angry, her face soften slightly, like she was feeling sorry for creating pain in her daughter's eyes.

"What's there to talk about? I'm a lesbian, I'm in love with Miranda, and you two seem to be the only one's that have a problem with it." She rested her head in her hand; her arm was propped up on the door handle.


"Miranda, you know that we support you no matter what." Her mother's voice was unsteady but calm.

"I know that Mom, and I love you for that. You guys just have to understand that I'm not really sure what is going on with me or with Lizzie right now. I'm just as confused about all of this as you are."

"Okay sweetheart. Just don't keep it all to yourself, you can talk to us." Miranda's father said with a smile.

Miranda relaxed and rested her head on the back of the car seat. A smile crossed her face as she remembered what all happened today. To think, this morning she woke up in denial of her love for the blonde and now she proudly out to the world and her parents. She wondered how Lizzie's parents were taking the news. Her smile faded, Lizzie's parents weren't exactly the most understanding people in the world. They lived half sheltered lives and that's the way they expected their children to live to, unaware of the world.


Darkness reigned outside of Lizzie's bedroom window. She sat on the window seal looking out into the night. All she wanted right now was to talk to Miranda, but that wasn't possible right now. In a fit of anger, Sam ripped out the phone from the wall. Miranda had called looking for Lizzie, which made Lizzie's parents mad.

In the background Lizzie noticed that her favorite song was playing again. It was reminding her of Miranda and that brought tears to her eyes. She wished that the girl were there to hold her and comfort her.

A hundred days have made me older
Since the last time that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lies have made me colder
And I don't think I can look at this the same
All the miles that separate
Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face
I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight, there's only you and me
The miles just keep rolling
As the people leave their way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
But I hope that it gets better as we go
I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl, there's only you and me
Everything I know, and anywhere I go
It gets hard but it won't take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it's all said and done
It gets hard but it won't take away my love
I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl, there's only you and me

She sighed and hung up the phone, it was a busy tone, and it had been busy all night. Sitting down on the bed, Miranda worried for the safety of her girlfriend. Though she had never known Lizzie's parents to be abusive, she couldn't be sure of that during a time like this.

"Miranda?" Her mother's voice came from the other side of the door. She let herself in to see her daughter overcome with sadness. "Miranda..." She said with a sigh. "You just have to give them time. The McGuire's are going to need time to adjust to their daughter being gay and being in love with her best friend."

"How come you two didn't act like Lizzie's parents did?" Miranda asked her mother.

The older woman sat there for a few moments, how was she going to respond to this without hurting her child's feelings. "Your father and I always had an inkling that you might be gay. So we had our time to sit and get use to the idea of it."

Miranda nodded, though she didn't want to accept it, she knew that for now her and Lizzie would have to be separated until her parents we're okay.

"Mom, I just want to go to sleep right now." Her voice showed how tired and depressed that she really was.


Morning came, not that the girls cared. To them the world stopped when they parted ways the day before. Both girls had been told to stay at home for the rest of the day.

Lizzie's parents were still mad at her. Though during the middle of the night, Jo attempted to speak to her daughter but was stopped by Sam. Softly Sam knocked on his daughter's door but received no answer. Giving a warning, "Lizzie, I'm coming in." He waited then opened the door. His daughter was sitting on the bed, still in her pajamas with a blank expression on her face.

"Look, I'm going to work and your mom has some errands to run today so you'll be home alone." Waiting, he still didn't get an answer from the girl. "Okay then, I'll uh, see you tonight. I do love you Lizzie." His voice betrayed him; he didn't want to feel bad for Lizzie's pain. Though he did feel bad, he tried to keep his composure.

"Lizzie, honey, are you up?" Jo's voice called from the stairs. Getting up, Lizzie looked over the railing to see her mother standing at the door. "I'm going to do some errands. I'll be home at six tonight and you're dad won't be home until six thirty. Matt is staying over at Lanny's tonight so you'll have to be home by your self."

Lizzie nodded, not really caring where her parents went just as long as they were gone and far away from her. But something occurred to her: her parents didn't trust her enough to go to school because she might see Miranda, but they were leaving her home alone for the whole day. It was ironic but then again so were parents.


There was a faint knock on the door. Had she not been flipping through the channels, Lizzie wouldn't have heard it. Cautiously opened the front door, who would knocking on her door anyways? She was relieved to find that it was Miranda. Pulling the girl inside and shutting the door, Lizzie encased Miranda in a tight hug. It was something that both girls needed and had wanted to do for a long time.

Silence was in the air for a long time as the girls held each other. It was a silent comfort to the hectic few days that had been having. Pulling back, Miranda smiled at the blonde, "Hey." She said with a grin on her face.

"Miranda, I've missed you." Lizzie admitted softly.

"I've missed you too. I had to come and see you and make sure that you were alright."

The blonde took her girlfriend's hand within hers and led them both to the couch to sit down. "My parents are gone." Lizzie said, knowing that Miranda had a clue already. She was nervous, what was there to say after the past few days that both girls had experienced? "How did your parents take it?"

"Fairly well. They're happy for us but...." She left the sentence hanging in the air. Part of her hoped that Lizzie hadn't heard the "but" part though she knew it was too much to hope for.

"But what?"

"My parents are worried about how your parents are taking the news. And I'm worried about you."

The blonde sat there for a moment, soaking in what the other girl had just said. "Why are you worried about me?"

"Because I love you and I'm afraid that you might let what's happening with your parents come between us." Miranda's voice faded slightly as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She didn't want to seem this weak, especially in front of her girlfriend. But when the thought of losing the most wonderful girl in the world came to mind, the tears couldn't be stopped.

"Sweetie..." Lizzie had a feeling of what was making Miranda cry. She pulled Miranda close to her and held the girl until she could no longer hear the small sobs. "You're not going to lose me, not again. I refuse to let my parents' childishness affect me and you."

Gently Lizzie wiped away a stray tear from Miranda's face, letting her hand linger longer than necessary. With a sly grin on her face, Miranda leaned forward to capture the perfect lips of the blonde. Lizzie responded almost instantly, letting her tongue touch the top of Miranda's lip. Lost, that's what Lizzie was when she kissed Miranda. It amazed her how this girl, who just barely a week ago was nothing more than a friend, could kiss her and make her lose all coherent thought.

The sound of a throat being cleared brought them from their worlds. Jumping back, Lizzie felt her heart beat in her throat. Looking up she felt the fear drain slightly from her body. It was just Miranda's mother.

"How did you get in?" Lizzie asked while wiping away a bead of sweat from her forehead.

"The door was unlocked. I came to talk to you girls together, there's something that you should know."

Scooting over, the older woman sat down and began to tell what she saw just hours before coming to the McGuire's home.

"I went to a meeting for parents of gay children tonight and I saw your parents there." She directed towards to Lizzie. "They talked to other parents and picked up some information that I think will help them to understand what's going on with you two right now." Pausing, she took a deep breath and chose her next words carefully so as to not offend Lizzie. "Even though right now they seem upset and may be unfair about where you go and when you're allowed to see Miranda, they will move on and become more understanding. Just give them time and be understanding along with them."

She nodded, hoping that this was the beginning of a new life that she wanted to have with Miranda. Maybe Jo and Sam's appearance at this support group did actually mean that they were trying hard to accept what was going on with their daughter. But it was something that only time could tell.


To Be Continued...

Okay, not my best work to date but I'm trying. I've been working on some other material for different shows like "Even Stevens" and "Mutant X" which you should check out if you watch the shows.