To my readers/reviewers – Thanks for reading the story and the reviews, I appreciate the support.

tormented soul – Thanks for editing this.

mr-random-guy – Thanks for the compliments and I enjoy reading your stories too.

tinkerbell877 – All good things must come to an end. Though, my storylines do seem to take on a life of their own. So nothing is ever completely finished with me.

McDuff1016, PrincessMarigold, and every other L/G fan reading this – You wanted it, you got it. L/G fluff!

A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 8 - Finding Their Way Back

Lizzie sat on the couch in the McGuire living room, staring out the window. Her opened history book was lying ignored on her lap. She was supposed to be studying but she couldn't get past the first few lines before her mind started wondering.

It had been a few weeks since the trip but its effects were still being felt.

While dealing with the aftermath of Brian, Kate and Ethan seemed to come out of it stronger and closer than ever. They had always had a hot and heavy, on and off again relationship but this time it seemed more serious.

They weren't the only ones who had changed. A small grin appeared on Lizzie's face as she thought of the other couple.

After six years of working his charms, Larry Tudgeman had finally won Miranda over. Not only did she agree to be his date to senior prom but to actually go out on a regular date with him.

Miranda had told her that after everything that happened on the trip, Larry wasn't looking as bad as he had before the trip.

After saying yes to being his date to the senior prom, he had asked her out and Miranda figured why not. Well, one date, turned into two, then a third, and before Miranda knew it she had fallen for him.

Lizzie looked back at her book and sighed. She was happy for her friends but it was hard when her own personal life was stagnant.

Ever since they came home from the trip, Gordo and her had worked on repairing their friendship. But it was getting harder for her to stay just platonic.

She was so afraid that if she made the wrong move or they started dating too fast, their relationship would be completely destroyed.

Slamming the book shut, she tossed onto the coffee table. Folding her arms across her chest, she started to pout.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice laughing softly behind her. Looking behind her, she saw Gordo watching her with a grin.

"David." Lizzie quickly jumped off the couch and walked over to him. "Whaz up?" She started chewing her lip as she tried desperately not to reach out and brush the curls away from his face.

"I need a reason to see my best friend?" he teased her. "I came to see if you wanted to watch the meteor shower."

Lizzie grinned, "That's my Gordo." Immediately as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. "I…umm."

Gordo watched her stuttering, the grin never leaving his face. "Its ok. I missed you calling me Gordo."

Lizzie smiled softly at him, "I missed it too."

Gordo laughed, "Come on, the sun just setting and the stars should be coming out." Gordo reached out and took her hand.

Both of them felt a rush as their hands touched and immediately their fingers intertwined.

Walking out into the backyard, Lizzie looked up at the sky. You could just see the last bit of sunlight over the horizon and the moon was beginning to show but no stars yet.

"So when does the meteor shower start?"

As they laid down on the grass, Gordo looked over at her. "As soon as the sun completely sets we should start seeing it."

Lying there, Lizzie felt a sense of comfort having him next to her. She grinned as she realized they were still holding hands. She didn't realize until just now, how much she enjoyed just having Gordo next to her.

"Gordo?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she said softly, her eyes looking up at the sky.

Gordo looked over at her, "We went through this. We're both were sorry for what he did."

Lizzie shook her head slightly. "I don't mean just for the trip but for everything."

"Liz…" Gordo started to say but Lizzie cut him off.

Lizzie sat up and looked down at her lap. "No. I mean it. You put up with a lot of shit from me, and you never made me feel like an idiot. It prolly didn't help your ego, when Miranda and me would talk about our crushes and the rest of our girl talk. I really took advantage of our friendship and didn't realize how much it meant to me until it was gone. I'm also sorry I hurt you when we broke up. I didn't mean to, it was just…I was scared."

Gordo looked up at her, "Scared of what?"

"You. Us," Lizzie answered and looked over at him. "I was sixteen and I could seriously picture us married, having kids. I was scared at how serious we were. I started wondering if I was doing the right thing. Was I missing something by not dating other guys? Then I started thinking that if I was thinking all this, what was going through your head. I finally decided that I needed to know what was out there. I thought it was for the best for both of us to see what was out there. High School was time for us to be dating a lot of different people."

Then Lizzie laughed softly, "After all this time I should've realized that there is nothing better than you. The guys I dated couldn't even compare to you. After awhile I just stopped trying and I wanted to get back together with you. I realized you were my other half. When we stopped just hanging out, it was like a piece of me was missing. Nobody could relate to me like you could. I could just look at you and know what was going through your head." Lizzie let out a heavy sigh, "But you were with Dana then and you seemed happy."

Gordo gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "McGuire." Lizzie smiled softly at the sound of the old nickname; while other people called her that, it was the way he said it that made it special to her. "I felt the same way. But after awhile I needed to move on with my life, no matter how hard it was." Then Gordo grinned, "Didn't hurt that I had Miranda harping on me to get off my lazy ass." They both laughed. "Dana was nice, she made me feel special, like you used to."

"Why did you break up?" Lizzie asked seriously.

Gordo looked away for a moment and then back at her, "She wasn't you."

Lizzie blushed slightly and her smile grew wider. Lying back down, she moved over so there shoulders were touching and looked up at the sky.

A few minutes after the sun finally set, Lizzie started noticing the stars coming out. She grinned as an idea came to her and closed her eyes. "Star bright, star light, first star I see tonight." she started saying to herself under her breath.

Gordo looked over at her and saw her lips moving but no sound. He smiled as he realized what she was doing. "The eternal child." he mused to himself. "I wonder what she's gonna wish for." He watched her face scrunch up, like she was trying very hard for her wish to happen, and voluntarily or not, she squeezed his hand.

Gordo suddenly found himself rolling onto his side and his face just hovering over hers. "Liz," he said softly.

Lizzie slowly opened her eyes and found herself being lulled in by Gordo's dark blue eyes. "Hmm?" was all she could say.

Gordo slowly lowered his lips to hers. At first it was just a quick peck but slowly it started to deepen into a more passionate one as all the pent up tension and passion between them gave way.

After a few minutes, they broke apart for air. Both had huge smiles on their faces.

"Does this mean that were?" Lizzie was too afraid to finish.

"I'd like to."

Lizzie reached up with her free hand and ran it through his curly hair. "I'd like that too."

A streak of light above Gordo caught Lizzie's attention. "The meteor shower." But when Gordo didn't move, she looked back into his eyes. "You're not gonna look at the stars anymore?"

"I'm looking at the only stars that matter to me." As Lizzie blushed, Gordo groaned and rolled his eyes at his own corny line. "I can't believe I just said that."

"You're a sweat little dork, you know that?" Lizzie teased him.

"You better believe it, ya klutz," he teased back.

For the next few hours, they just laid there talking, holding hands, and occasionally kissing.

As they were about to part, Lizzie stood in the kitchen doorway, "Gordo wait."

Gordo stopped at the edge of the deck and walked back to her. "What's wrong?"

Lizzie just smiled at him, "One thing. If I call you Gordo, then you have to do something for me."

"Anything Liz."

"Stop calling me Liz." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer. "Call me Lizzie," she said before kissing him goodnight.

As the separated, Lizzie walked back into the kitchen. "Night Gordo. See ya tomorrow."

Gordo let out a deep breath and smiled. Slowly backing away from the house and across the deck; his eyes never leaving her. "Night Lizzie."