A/N First off --- major major apologies for taking so long to update. It took beyond forever to write this. I got a major case of writer's block, then got sick for a couple of weeks, and didn't even try to add even one word. Then more writer's block, followed by many, many days when I wanted to write, but simply had no time. I can't believe it's been a whole YEAR since I last updated. I had most of this done months ago, and I wanted to add more, but just couldn't. I cut it earlier than I originally planned to, and just edited a bit.

Second, props to the reviewers. (PersonY2K, I Am Moo (two reviews!), Becca, Jaime, JessDracoLover24, Tic-Tac, shippie!) Third, thanks to all those who didn't post a review. (It's ok, really, I don't review other people's stories nearly enough, I haven't read many recently either...). I tried to add a little more L/G ness here. Hope this chapter doesn't suck too much. Here we go...

Disclaimer- Don't work for Disney or Ren-Mar Studios. Don't own a thing, not even the names I made up for this chapter.

On to Chapter 4.

Chapter 4

Here We Are... Still Together, We Aren't One

She asked herself for about the six hundred and twenty-seventh time why she was here. Well, not HERE here, but Rome, the class trip. She was all ready to go to Waterslide Wonderland, when Mr. Escobar had called. A spot on the trip to Rome was open, and she didn't have to pay a single cent. Did she want to go? DUH! That was liking asking if mice loved cheese. The answer to both questions was unquestionably yes. She'd wanted to go ever since the trip had been announced a month before, but there was no way her mother could come up with the amount of money needed for the excursion.

It sounded too good to be true, which usually meant it was, but Mr. Escobar explained that since Margaret Chan couldn't go, but had paid, her parents were 'donating' her place on the trip. Why her? Why not Larry, or Claire, or Parker, or anyone else? He told her Mr. Dig had decided how to pick the recipient of the free 'vacation'. It was definitely something only he would think of. In order to make it interesting, they had started calling students in backwards alphabetical order. For some reason, they were unable to reach Krystal Wright, and Caitlin Williams. Tudgeman had turned the offer down, saying he couldn't leave home now, the annual Star Trek convention started next Tuesday. Eli Saxon wouldn't go unless Parker could go as well. So, that left lucky Kate Sanders.

Of course, this was a trip most wouldn't pass up. She didn't. Without a second thought, she said 'Yes' and packed her bags. She didn't even take time to call Claire. She didn't care if this was a school 'outing', it could be the only chance she'd ever get to go to Rome. Rome! For two weeks in Rome, she could put up with anything. Until now, she was glad she came. Everything in Rome was great, and she'd actually had a good time. Unfortunately, now Lizzie had to go and wreck it all.

She felt animosity towards Lizzie and Gordo welling up inside her. As soon as the feeling hit though, it vanished. She had actually gotten closer to her two former friends than she ever thought possible. She could have turned Lizzie in days ago, but didn't. So now she had to share in the punishment, because by not alerting Ms. Ungermeyer to Lizzie's escapades, she was...

Kate's thoughts were interrupted as Ms. Ungermeyer came down the hall, Gordo in tow. Ugh. He looked terrible. She straightened up and flashed her future principal one of her patented smiles. She glanced over at Lizzie and Ethan. Ethan was in his own little world as usual, and Lizzie, well, she looked almost as bad as Gordo did. Sympathy pains? Nah.

"Ms. McGuire, Ms. Sanders. Mr. Craft." Ethan did not respond, so she stepped directly in front of him, and tried again. "Mr. Craft!!!"

"Uh, oh hi, Ms. Oscar Meyer. Wassup?"

"My name is Ungermeyer! For your sake, I hope that slip-up was a one time incident. You are very, very lucky I'm in a hurry, or I'd, I'd... Argh!" She threw up her hands. She was wasting her valuable time arguing with this junior neanderthal. She turned back to the others. "Sergei, I trust that you will keep an eye on these four. I have to go meet the others downstairs now. We're going shopping! Be back by 6 PM! And with that she was gone.

Lizzie couldn't take her eyes off Gordo. He looked terrible. Even worse than how he'd looked last night. Last night. Oh God, was she to blame? She went over to talk to him, but Sergei cut her off.

Sergei took Gordo's face in his hands, and looked into his eyes, turning his head this way and that. He laughed. "If I did not know better, I would say, YOU sir have a hangover, but since I DO know better, I will say that it is something else. No matter what it is, I know how to fix it. Everyone, take yourselves and follow me."

He took off like a shot, and surprisingly, Ethan was the first to follow. Kate was right behind, and Lizzie and Gordo were soon alone. "Come on, Gordo, we have to go." He was propped up against the wall, but he looked ready to topple over at any moment. Why was Ms. Ungermeyer making him go out when he was obviously sick? Because she, Lizzie McGuire, had ruined it for everyone. Now the only way any of them could stay behind is if they lost an arm or something. She took hand, and pulled him along. His hand was cold and clammy. She re-adjusted, and held him by the wrist instead. She wondered what her family would do while they were here. They hadn't gone with the Ungermeyer bunch, and she guessed her parents were asleep, they were probably suffering from jet lag. Her spiky-headed brother had discovered the desk clerk Giorgio had a laptop computer, and he had offered its use to Matt to contact Lanny and Melina. He was probably in the hotel lounge. They walked around the corner to the elevator.

That is, they walked to where the elevator SHOULD be. But it was gone. This was crazy! They weren't THAT far behind the other three. Gordo again rested against the wall, while Lizzie thought.

"Lizzie, I don't feel so good." The first words he'd spoken to her in hours. He sounded like a five year old. He didn't care. He felt like left-over leftovers.

Her heart went out to him. She hated to see him not his usual self. However, she was speechless. She nodded her head, and frowned, to show him she sympathized with him. Then before she knew it, she was running her fingers through his hair. Just the right hand, but nonetheless. She quickly tousled his hair a bit, and let go. What a childish thing for her to do. But what a release. She'd been dying to do that for months, ever since he had declared he wouldn't get his hair cut for a whole year. She loved his curls, and now there were so many more.

Oh, how he loved that. It felt like thousands of volts of electricity were coursing through his veins. Part of the reason Lizzie was attracted to Ethan was his 'good hair', and his own curly mop was definitely not what you would call 'good hair', was it? He loved her touch on his hair as much as the touch of her hand. He loved the physical contact. When she'd kissed him on the forehead a few days before, he'd been shocked to say the least. Lizzie had always been perky, but she kissed him! And last night was the third kiss in the last two weeks, and it was the BIG one. Why hadn't he returned the kiss? If only he had... Her angelic voice broke his train of thought, and pulled him back into reality.

"Gordo? Maybe we should use the stairs?" She prodded him for a reply.

"Uh, yeah, sure, whatever." They took nary a step when unexpectedly, the elevator returned. The doors opened, and Sergei emerged.

He called to them. "Is best you come now." They walked over to him. Well, Lizzie walked, Gordo wobbled. She helped him into the car, and prepared to enter as well. She was stopped by the large man.

"It is best for you to take stairs, Ms. McGuire."

She frowned. "Why? There is plenty of room! Three of you just went down a couple of minutes ago!"

"Yes, but it was how do you Americans say? "A tight squeeze" He laughed. "Mr. Gordon needs air and space in here. You need not worry." He pressed a series of buttons, pulled the doors shut, and left a stunned Lizzie behind.

Fine, she'd take the stupid stairs. She arrived downstairs just seconds ahead of the elevator. Kate and Ethan stood off to the side, talking and laughing about something, but when Lizzie entered they quickly became still. What was going on? It was impossible to find out, as just then Sergei came through the lobby, barking orders. "Come, you must follow now!" She looked around, her brother was nowhere to be seen, but interestingly, American top 40 music was coming from outside. She listened carefully, and heard Matt's voice singing along. She barely had time to register all this as the quartet followed the big man.

The four of them tagged behind, with again, Ethan and Kate in the lead, and Lizzie and Gordo bringing up the rear. He led them outside to a car. He pulled some keys from his pocket, fingered a small device, pressed a button and deactivated the alarm. Ethan ran up to the car, checking out every facet. He even kicked the tires for good measure.

"Whoa. This is a NICE car. I guess being in the spy business is good for the bank account, eh, Sergei?

"Mr. Craft. Am not spy, like James Bond. I am, well was, a bodyguard."

Ethan wasn't listening one bit. He pulled on the passenger door handle without success. He stepped back. "I call shotgun!"

Kate was by his side in a flash, pulling him back. "ETH-an!," she whined. "Gordo is sick. Let him sit in the front for now."

Ethan looked at her blankly, then acted as if he actually understood. "Oh yeah!" He stepped back, and ran his fingers through his hair, waiting for Mr. Gordon.

Sergei pressed a different button on his keychain attachment, opened the door. and helped Gordo into the passenger seat. A third button opened the rear doors. Before Ethan could rush ahead, Kate began to bark orders. "Me first, then Lizzie, then you." She poked Ethan hard in the ribs, and he winced, but nodded.

A thousand thoughts raced through Lizzie's mind as the trio entered the vehicle, according to Kate's wishes. "Why is she telling me to go into the middle? If Ethan went first, then I went last, she'd be keeping me away from him. Is this some kind of weird test?" Ethan leaned into her as he pulled the door shut. Normally, any physical contact with the young Mr. Craft would make her ecstatic and turn to jelly, but now she felt nothing. Well, she felt Kate's arm as she bumped her former friend, but there were no longer any sparks with Ethan. For right now, her attention (and her heart) were with the young man slumped in the front seat. She could see just the top of his curly head, and strained herself for a better look, as Sergei started the car, and she fell back. She turned to the right and found Kate watching her with a half-smile on her face. She quickly looked away, and at the floor, the door handle, the rooftop, anywhere but to her left, or the front.

It seemed that they had just left, but in Sergei's state-of-the-art vehicle, they were already about a mile from the hotel. She had no idea where they were going, but the large man in the driver's seat was driving as if he knew exactly what he was doing. She was worried. What did they know about him, really? What if he was going to kidnap them all? What if Gordo threw up in the car? He was belted in firmly, and the car handled well, but she knew when Gordo was sick, and now he was definitely sick. She shouldn't have let him leave the hotel.

She didn't realize it but again, she was staring at Gordo... She quickly looked over at Ethan and then Kate. Ethan looked concerned, and again, Kate was smiling at her. Ethan leaned forward a little, made a motion to Kate, and mouthed something Lizzie couldn't get. Kate nodded, turned to her and opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped abruptly, as the car hit a bump. It was deadly silent, she couldn't take the silence any more. It was the loudest quiet she'd ever heard!

She got an idea, and called out. "Uh Mr. uh, Mr. Sergei? Is there a possibility that you could turn on the radio? He nodded in affirmation, and activated the car's sound system, getting nothing but static. He tried several stations, leaving it on each frequency for just a few seconds. Classical, news in Italian, a call-in talk show, more static. He went around the dial twice, and looked very frustrated, suddenly a voice boomed through the car's speakers...

"Ow woo! This is Flash Johnny on Pirate Italia radio coming to you loud and clear over the city of Rome. Where am I? I am here, and that is not there, but you can reach me on the email at And I have a request from an 'M-Dogg' here. Well, Mr. Dogg, here's your song!"

At that very second the car stopped and the radio with it. "We are here," stated Sergei matter-of-factly. But where was here?

A/N I tried and tried to get this up earlier, but just couldn't do it. I hate that it took so long. I don't want to give up on this story, but I may be in over my head. I know what I would like to write later, but not these first few chapters. I'll have to think on it. Too many times I opened the document, and did nothing. Time goes too quickly. It also is harder for me to be using so many characters, and it doesn't help that I have no idea what Sergei's last name is.

Should I attempt to continue? What should happen next? Is this too stupid and unbelievable? I've got a couple of ideas but don't really know how to develop them. Give me some ideas.

It's been so long since I've updated, they changed so much here. I HAVE to plug the fabulous LM stories of my good friend Regg. His user ID is hmatsui.

I have to overlook the fact that he's a Yankee fan, but he's a fantastic writer. Both Serendipity and A Second Chance are works of art, and I cannot pick which volume is my favorite. Grab a box of tissues before you check out these stories, then get swept up in a beautifully crafted tale.

If you like, review or email me at or IM me (AOL JP five 683 Yahoo JP5683 MSN )

As always, reviews are much appreciated, but never required.

Thanks,

JP

August 31, 2004