Sorry if I confused anybody… Gordo is staying with Miranda while he's looking for a job and a new apartment. I got a review from someone who was confused as to why Lizzie opened the door to him, but suddenly he was with Miranda – the last chapter was supposed to be a few days after chapter 8 happened.

On to the story!

(Disclaimer: I own nothing!)

ON THE WAY DOWN

Chapter 10

After relentlessly trying for a month to find a new job, Gordo was still unsuccessful. Miranda was beginning to get upset, and though she understood it wasn't his fault that people didn't hire him, she also was really beginning to miss her privacy. She'd never been one to hold her feelings inside, either, so one afternoon, she let him know.

"Look, Gordo, I love you to death. But this has to stop. I didn't mind you staying here at first, but I figured it would just be a little while, maybe a couple weeks. You've been here for over a month now, with absolutely no income, your broke-down car sitting in my driveway looking ugly, and I want my privacy back. Now, we're going to Lizzie's house, and you're gonna tell her everything, or else I will."

She paused and took a breath, then started up again. "Lizzie hates being alone in that house, and I like being alone in mine. It'll be perfect, because she'll immediately insist that you stay there at her place."

Gordo looked at her in shock. It wore off in a moment or so, and then he felt guilty. She'd offered her home as a place for him and given up all of her privacy. She drove him to countless job interviews, made sure there was food on the table, and what had he given her in return? Not a thing.

Sure, he'd helped out around the house a lot. While Miranda was at work, Gordo made sure everything was in order and did the laundry and even cooked sometimes, despite his lousy culinary skills. But that really wasn't much when he thought about it. Still, how did she expect him to tell Lizzie? She knew how he felt, and he was almost hurt because of her decision.

"Alright… you do have a point. I can't control the fact that no one seems to want to hire me, but that's not your fault, either, and this is your home. Listen, I'm gonna go get some basic things together so we can go to Lizzie's when she's home from work," Gordo said, turning to head up the stairs.

"I'm sorry, Gordo…" Miranda called to his back, as he retreated up the stairs.

Lizzie heard the bell on the door jingle as her last patient of the day walked in. She looked at the appointment book and saw that it was Mr. Stevens with his cat Bella. Bella had gotten her leg closed in a door and Lizzie had to operate and put a steel pin in the tiny cat's leg to replace the crushed bones. Now, several weeks later, she was supposed to take out the stitches in Bella's leg.

Since it was such a routine and quick procedure, Lizzie had already sent all of her assistants home for the day. She grabbed a pair of scissors and went out into the lobby. Mr. Stevens was holding the little white cat like a baby. "Hey there, sweetie!" Lizzie cooed to Bella.

"I'm just gonna cut these sutures out, and then you guys can go on your merry way, alright?" she asked. Mr. Stevens nodded, and Lizzie gently took hold of the cat's tiny leg. She snipped the six stitches and pulled them out, then lightly stroked the top of Bella's head a few times. "There you go, good as new!" she said.

"Thank you, Miss McGuire. What is the charge?" he asked, cradling the cat in one arm and reaching for his wallet with the other. Lizzie shook her head. "I'm not gonna charge you for that, Mr. Stevens. It took all of ten seconds to do. I don't run this business to make tons of money. I do it to help," she said.

The man smiled and thanked her, then made his way back out to his car with the tiny white ball of fluff in his arms. Lizzie smiled to herself, then went back to the back. She tossed the old strings from the sutures into the garbage, then washed her hands and proceeded to lock up for the evening.

When Lizzie walked into her house, the phone was ringing incessantly. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Lizzie, it's Miranda. Listen, Gordo's got some things he wants to tell you, so we're gonna come over in a little while, okay?"

"Uh… yeah, that's fine. Have you guys eaten dinner yet?" Lizzie cradled the phone on her shoulder while she looked through her refrigerator.

"We were just gonna stop at McDonald's on the way over," Miranda said.

"Don't. I'll order some pizza," Lizzie responded. Miranda mentioned that she was going to get a quick shower before they came over, and they got off the phone. Lizzie sat down at the kitchen table and wondered what was so important that Gordo had to tell her, and why did he have to bring Miranda with him?

"Oh, my God!" she exclaimed, "They're dating!"