No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: Personal Notes:
keeponwritin: Don't go kicking people on my account! As for story length, believe me when I say that this wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this long. Paragraphs, chapters, even plot threads have kept adding themselves, until I now have a story where I'm at 60,000+ words, with the end maybe that many away. Having said that, however, I'll point you to the work of Debbie Kluge on this site. She's one of my favorites, and parts 6 and 8 of her Jonny Quest series make my story look brief. And those are shortened versions. Each had been roughly 1000 words longer, but the involved scenes, while tastefully handled, still gave those stories an NC-17 rating.
JAMTillDawn: I can't remember about the lunchbox, but I believe you're right about the shirt. Good to have you back.
plainjane: I think you MIGHT be reading too much into the self-argument. But that gives me an interesting idea (grins maniacally).
`
Chapter 25
. . . per chance to dream.
`
When Jo arrived to pick up Matt, Mr. Gordon asked her into his office. He then used his phone's conference call ability to get Sam and the Sanchezes on the line. Putting them on speaker, he started to explain the plan and reasoning, trying very hard not to tell Miranda's parents about the coming promise rings. After about fifteen minutes of warm, and occasionally colorful, debate, the parents all agreed. To the surprise of most, Mr. Sanchez was not the final holdout, but rather Mrs. Sanchez.
~~~~~~~~
On the drive home, both were silent. After they pulled into the driveway, Jo spoke. "I understand you are responsible for tonight's changes, Matt."
"Mostly. I couldn't let her suffer, not if I could help it. I know I was a little harsh with him, but it will help her, so it's worth any price to me."
"He told us that you two made a deal, but wouldn't say what your end was. Would you mind telling me what it is?"
"I'm going to wait until at least our two month anniversary before I give Miranda the promise ring."
"Two month anniversary?" She was surprised by that. "Since when do boys think about things like that? I don't know how many times I've had to remind your father of our wedding anniversary."
"Um, well," the not-entirely-deserved compliment made him uncomfortable, "it was Mr. Gordon's idea. He said I'd avoid a lot of arguments if I remembered things like that."
Jo arched her eyebrows, but also cracked a smile. "He is right about that." In the pause that followed, Matt could tell there was more, but decided to wait for her. "There's something else I want to ask you about, but I think I'll wait until I get all three of you together. Come on, let's get in and have dinner."
Something in the way she said that reduced his appetite.
~~~~~~~~
When Miranda arrived, her mother was not in the best of moods. However, she accepted Jo's invitation for some coffee. While they went to the kitchen, Miranda joined Matt, Lizzie, and Sam in the living room. When she sat down, Sam spoke. "Miranda, Jo's been annoyed with something since returning with Matt, and now your mom seems to be fuming, too. I'm wondering if maybe this idea about tonight isn't such a good idea?"
Miranda was clearly uncomfortable. "Well, that's only part of why mom's mad." Her eyes lit up. "Lizzie, did you have THAT talk with your mother this afternoon?"
"Yeah, while Matt was at," she smacked her forehead, then looked at her friend, "you too?!?"
She nodded. "Right after we got home from Dr. Gordon. Which would be about the same time you did."
Matt's eyes had gone wide when he realized what they were talking about. "And that's when I talked Dr. Gordon into going with Lizzie's idea for us."
"They're gonna think we planned it that way. We're fried."
Sam interrupted. "Would any of you mind telling me what you're talking about?"
"I'll tell you, somewhere else." Matt was talking quickly. "We don't want to be in the firing line when the moms come back."
"Where's my protector?"
"Love, I'd throw myself in front of anything to save you, except our mothers teamed up and angry."
"Too late."
Matt froze at the sound of his mother voice. He couldn't dare look. "Ah, hi mom. Dad and I were just leaving."
"No you don't. Your father can decide for himself if he stays, but you are staying put."
Matt knew when to give up. "Yes, ma'am."
"Jo, would you please tell me what this is all about?"
"It seems that, at the same time your son was making new sleeping arrangements, his girlfriend and your daughter both asked about going on birth control."
Sam's eyes showed his shock and amazement. "Birth control?!?" His shock wore off surprisingly quickly. "Still, it's not as bad as it could have been." Everyone was caught off guard by his reaction, or lack of it. He turned to Lizzie. "Were you expecting me to be 'mad dad'?"
"Well, yeah, I was. I mean, aren't dads supposed to be protective of their daughter's 'virtue'?"
Sam chuckled a little at the way she said that. "Yes. But when I think about how many times we've talked to you, both of you, about responsibility, I can't help but think that some of that managed to get through." His face grew more serious. "I do think that all of you are still too young, but I also know that, in the end, it will be your decisions. After this morning, I'm glad you're thinking about what could happen. I do have a question for both of you girls, though. As I recall, at sixteen in this state, you can go to a doctor yourselves for that. So why did you take the risk of asking permission?" He thought he already knew the answer, but he wanted their mother's to hear it.
"I couldn't go behind my mom's back about something this big." Miranda answered first. "I know we've snuck out before, like Kate's party, but those are nothing compared to this. I just can't do that to her."
"Neither can I. You both mean too much to me. I know it can't be easy for you to think about, but dad, it's not like I'm going to seduce Gordo if I'm on it." Sam and Matt both winced. "There are so many reasons not to yet, and we want to wait. But after everything with Parker, I realize that, despite our best intentions, we could give in to temptation. I just want to make sure that, if we do, we're not going to have a baby we're not ready for, or worse . . ." She couldn't make herself finish the sentence.
"It's okay, Lizzie, I know what you're trying to say. I was there when the death notice came, remember?"
"Sam," Jo interrupted, "doesn't it bother you that they seem to have timed this to try to catch us separately? I feel like I've been caught in a crossfire."
"It wasn't like that!" Matt couldn't hold back. The look from his mother normally would have stopped him short. This time, however, he managed to continue. "Sorry, mom, but it wasn't planned like that. I can't speak for why Miranda asked then, but I couldn't talk to Dr. Gordon before then, and I never told them," he pointed to the girls, "about what I was doing."
"And I wanted to ask mom about it all day, but couldn't work up the courage." Miranda cut in. "Then I met Matt at Dr. Gordon's as I was leaving and he was entering, and it reminded me of the stakes involved." Something in the way she said that caught Matt's attention. She continued. "I made myself ask first chance I had after that."
Lizzie added "I waited until Matt was out of the house so I wouldn't have to worry about him walking in on us."
"I'm glad she waited. That's one conversation I did not wait to hear."
Sam was silently laughing. "That fits what you three were saying, or should I say panicking about, when Miranda first got here." He saw the look both mothers were giving him. "If you two had heard them, you'd have no doubt they're telling the truth about not planning this."
Jo eyed him speculatively. "Well, if you're sure."
"Yeah, I am."
"Alright. But still, it sounds like they all knew the girls were going to ask at some point."
"Miranda and I have had a lot of 'what if' talks. We had already decided that birth control was a precaution we should have." Both mothers looked at Matt sharply, but he wasn't looking at them. He was afraid he'd freeze up if he did. "When the notice about little Jacob came, Miranda suggested that she should talk to Lizzie about it. I agreed, then left the room. I had no idea how their talk went. Honestly, I didn't want to know."
"What she said to me made sense, after I got over the shock."
"Well," Sam stood up, "I think that removes the idea of this afternoon having been planned out." He looked at the mothers. "Daniella, what you decide for Miranda is, of course, not up to us. But, for what it's worth, I'd rest easier if you said yes." He walked up to his wife and hugged her. "That goes for Lizzie, too. I'll leave the final decision to you, but I think they're right about this, and I think we can trust them." He separated from her. "Unless you still need him, I think Matt and I should leave you ladies to talk this out."
She turned to Mrs. Sanchez. "Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, I think that's a good idea."
Matt stood up, then give Miranda a quick kiss. "Good luck." He turned, and followed his father out of the room.
The conversation among the four ladies took another 45 minutes. At the end, both mothers made the same decision. They agreed to the girls' request. However, they wanted each to promise not to tell her boyfriend. Lizzie reluctantly agreed. Miranda flat refused. "I can't keep this a secret from him. With the way he worries about me, if I can take this weight off his mind, I will."
"Miranda, please."
"Mom, no. If you can't trust us enough to give us this safeguard, fine. But I'm NOT hiding it from him."
Her mother sighed. She didn't like either choice, but she knew her daughter. Backing her into a corner was generally a bad idea. "I do trust you. If you think it's that important he knows, I guess I can't stop you."
"Thank you."
"Mom," Lizzie interrupted, "even thought I don't like the idea of keeping this from him, I'll stand by my word. I understand your reason. But, if something should happen, I will tell him then. I don't want him worrying needlessly."
"I guess that's fair. Now that that's settled, let's go tell your father." She turned to Miranda. "I'll ask Matt to come in here. If your going to tell him, you should do so. Besides, that will give your mother a chance to have some words with him about this." She turned to leave in time to miss Miranda's gulp at the thought of what Matt was in for.
~~~~~~~~
The room stayed as it was the night before, with Jo on the cot, and the second bag in place in case she decided to separate them. Matt and Miranda settled down for the evening in roughly the same way they ended up the night before. Even though Miranda was 3 inches taller than him, Matt wouldn't hear of a change, and he had the perfect argument when his mother suggested it. He gave her his best deadpan face. "The most natural way to sleep against someone uses their shoulder and chest as a pillow. Not that I would mind, but I don't think you want my head there on her."
While Miranda tried desperately to stifle a fit of giggles, his mother agreed.
`
Once they were settled, Matt remembered something. "Dr. Gordon said I should tell you something, said I'd find your answer interesting."
"Oh, he did, did he?" Miranda's curiosity was peaked. "And what did he want you to tell me."
"Last night, when you needed me to wake you, didn't you wonder how I knew?"
"I assumed you couldn't sleep, and saw me."
"No. I was awoke by this kind of dull ache at the back of my head. At first, I thought I'd put my head on the bag's zipper. But when I checked, I saw that it couldn't have been that. That's when the ache sharpened. It actually hurt. That's when I remembered the last time I'd felt something like that, and I knew I had to check on you. You see, I'd felt that kind of nagging feeling at the back of my mind Friday. I had no idea what it meant until your mom called. When the phone rang, though, I didn't need to be told it was about you. I just knew."
"I remember that." Jo said from the cot. "But you're saying that you had that feeling last night, only sharper?"
"Yes. What I don't understand is why it would have been sharper, and why Dr. Gordon wanted me to mention it."
Miranda's eyes had gotten very large as he spoke. "I think I can answer both of those. First, the only nightmare I've worse than Friday's was last night. That may be why it was sharper. Second, last night, I had the same thing force me awake in time to help you out of your nightmare, and I told Dr. Gordon."
Now was Matt's turn to go big eyed. "Are you serious?!? But . . . but how?"
"Matt," his mother cut in, "don't ask the unanswerable. Just accept that you two can somehow tell when the other needs you, and hope that neither of you has to prove it again."
He couldn't resist the opening. "I never thought I'd have a spider sense."
"Boys!" both women said with exasperation.
~~~~~~~~
Both Matt and Miranda had some very pleasant dreams. While most could only be written in an NC-17 story, each had one that can, and should, be described here.
~~
Matt found himself in what felt like a living slide show, shifting him from scene to scene as soon as he understood what he was seeing. The first scene, unmistakably, was he and Miranda's first time. He was disappointed in themselves that they didn't seem any older.
The scene shifted to a wedding. When he realized he was in the groom's place at the altar, he couldn't help beaming. Just as he saw Miranda coming down the aisle, and he realized she didn't look any older, the scene shifted again.
At first, he was horrified. A hospital waiting room. Just as he was about to panic, a nurse came to him. "Mr. McGuire?"
"Yes?" He answered without thinking.
"Your wife and the baby are fine. It's a girl."
As the relief washed over him, the scene shifted again, but not far. He was in a hospital room, Miranda smiling at him as he held his baby girl. Looking into her angelic face was a joy he never knew was possible.
The next several scenes were their life together. Another child, a son. First steps. On through the years, he noticed that he and Miranda never appeared to change. His daughter looked older then he did as he gave her away at her wedding. Though it all, they were together. As the final scene approached, he dreaded what was about to come, but couldn't stop it. A hospital room. Although they still didn't look any older, they talked about having just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They both knew she was dying, and this would be goodbye, until the were reunited on the other side. As her heart monitor went flat, he awoke with a jolt. Momentarily panicked, he looked to his shoulder . . . and saw her worried, and very alive, eyes watching him.
"Are you okay?" She was whispering. "I thought, for a moment, this hadn't worked."
"It worked. That wasn't a nightmare. While the ending was heartbreaking, I couldn't have asked for a better dream."
"What was it?"
He unclasped his hands and gently stroked her hair. "Us. For the rest of our very long lives."
"I like the sound of that." She moved up and kissed him. "Do you think you can get back to sleep?"
"Yes. Sweet dreams."
~~
Not long after falling asleep again, Miranda fell into a dream that was very similar to Matt's. Other than a few minor details, the only major difference was, of course, that she experienced giving birth to their children. She also noticed how they didn't seem to age. As the final scene came to its end, she was jolted awake like he had been. She didn't have the chance to look for him, because when she opened her eyes, she found that he must have shifted onto his side, and he was now staring intently into her eyes. He placed his free hand in her temple. "What happened in there?"
"I think I just had your dream. When we wake in the morning, let tell each other exactly what we dreamed. There are some things I can't figure out, yet, but maybe in the morning. Okay?"
He smiled, then kissed her. "My mornings, and everything else, are your's. Always."
"I like the sound of that. Good night."
~~
Jo was a light sleeper, and had heard both exchanges. She was proud of them. For all they knew, she had stayed asleep, yet they didn't seem to even consider trying to get away with anything.
~~~~~~~~
Up next: Gordo and Lizzie talk, Matt talks to Reggie, and words you never thought you'd hear are said.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: Personal Notes:
keeponwritin: Don't go kicking people on my account! As for story length, believe me when I say that this wasn't supposed to be anywhere near this long. Paragraphs, chapters, even plot threads have kept adding themselves, until I now have a story where I'm at 60,000+ words, with the end maybe that many away. Having said that, however, I'll point you to the work of Debbie Kluge on this site. She's one of my favorites, and parts 6 and 8 of her Jonny Quest series make my story look brief. And those are shortened versions. Each had been roughly 1000 words longer, but the involved scenes, while tastefully handled, still gave those stories an NC-17 rating.
JAMTillDawn: I can't remember about the lunchbox, but I believe you're right about the shirt. Good to have you back.
plainjane: I think you MIGHT be reading too much into the self-argument. But that gives me an interesting idea (grins maniacally).
`
Chapter 25
. . . per chance to dream.
`
When Jo arrived to pick up Matt, Mr. Gordon asked her into his office. He then used his phone's conference call ability to get Sam and the Sanchezes on the line. Putting them on speaker, he started to explain the plan and reasoning, trying very hard not to tell Miranda's parents about the coming promise rings. After about fifteen minutes of warm, and occasionally colorful, debate, the parents all agreed. To the surprise of most, Mr. Sanchez was not the final holdout, but rather Mrs. Sanchez.
~~~~~~~~
On the drive home, both were silent. After they pulled into the driveway, Jo spoke. "I understand you are responsible for tonight's changes, Matt."
"Mostly. I couldn't let her suffer, not if I could help it. I know I was a little harsh with him, but it will help her, so it's worth any price to me."
"He told us that you two made a deal, but wouldn't say what your end was. Would you mind telling me what it is?"
"I'm going to wait until at least our two month anniversary before I give Miranda the promise ring."
"Two month anniversary?" She was surprised by that. "Since when do boys think about things like that? I don't know how many times I've had to remind your father of our wedding anniversary."
"Um, well," the not-entirely-deserved compliment made him uncomfortable, "it was Mr. Gordon's idea. He said I'd avoid a lot of arguments if I remembered things like that."
Jo arched her eyebrows, but also cracked a smile. "He is right about that." In the pause that followed, Matt could tell there was more, but decided to wait for her. "There's something else I want to ask you about, but I think I'll wait until I get all three of you together. Come on, let's get in and have dinner."
Something in the way she said that reduced his appetite.
~~~~~~~~
When Miranda arrived, her mother was not in the best of moods. However, she accepted Jo's invitation for some coffee. While they went to the kitchen, Miranda joined Matt, Lizzie, and Sam in the living room. When she sat down, Sam spoke. "Miranda, Jo's been annoyed with something since returning with Matt, and now your mom seems to be fuming, too. I'm wondering if maybe this idea about tonight isn't such a good idea?"
Miranda was clearly uncomfortable. "Well, that's only part of why mom's mad." Her eyes lit up. "Lizzie, did you have THAT talk with your mother this afternoon?"
"Yeah, while Matt was at," she smacked her forehead, then looked at her friend, "you too?!?"
She nodded. "Right after we got home from Dr. Gordon. Which would be about the same time you did."
Matt's eyes had gone wide when he realized what they were talking about. "And that's when I talked Dr. Gordon into going with Lizzie's idea for us."
"They're gonna think we planned it that way. We're fried."
Sam interrupted. "Would any of you mind telling me what you're talking about?"
"I'll tell you, somewhere else." Matt was talking quickly. "We don't want to be in the firing line when the moms come back."
"Where's my protector?"
"Love, I'd throw myself in front of anything to save you, except our mothers teamed up and angry."
"Too late."
Matt froze at the sound of his mother voice. He couldn't dare look. "Ah, hi mom. Dad and I were just leaving."
"No you don't. Your father can decide for himself if he stays, but you are staying put."
Matt knew when to give up. "Yes, ma'am."
"Jo, would you please tell me what this is all about?"
"It seems that, at the same time your son was making new sleeping arrangements, his girlfriend and your daughter both asked about going on birth control."
Sam's eyes showed his shock and amazement. "Birth control?!?" His shock wore off surprisingly quickly. "Still, it's not as bad as it could have been." Everyone was caught off guard by his reaction, or lack of it. He turned to Lizzie. "Were you expecting me to be 'mad dad'?"
"Well, yeah, I was. I mean, aren't dads supposed to be protective of their daughter's 'virtue'?"
Sam chuckled a little at the way she said that. "Yes. But when I think about how many times we've talked to you, both of you, about responsibility, I can't help but think that some of that managed to get through." His face grew more serious. "I do think that all of you are still too young, but I also know that, in the end, it will be your decisions. After this morning, I'm glad you're thinking about what could happen. I do have a question for both of you girls, though. As I recall, at sixteen in this state, you can go to a doctor yourselves for that. So why did you take the risk of asking permission?" He thought he already knew the answer, but he wanted their mother's to hear it.
"I couldn't go behind my mom's back about something this big." Miranda answered first. "I know we've snuck out before, like Kate's party, but those are nothing compared to this. I just can't do that to her."
"Neither can I. You both mean too much to me. I know it can't be easy for you to think about, but dad, it's not like I'm going to seduce Gordo if I'm on it." Sam and Matt both winced. "There are so many reasons not to yet, and we want to wait. But after everything with Parker, I realize that, despite our best intentions, we could give in to temptation. I just want to make sure that, if we do, we're not going to have a baby we're not ready for, or worse . . ." She couldn't make herself finish the sentence.
"It's okay, Lizzie, I know what you're trying to say. I was there when the death notice came, remember?"
"Sam," Jo interrupted, "doesn't it bother you that they seem to have timed this to try to catch us separately? I feel like I've been caught in a crossfire."
"It wasn't like that!" Matt couldn't hold back. The look from his mother normally would have stopped him short. This time, however, he managed to continue. "Sorry, mom, but it wasn't planned like that. I can't speak for why Miranda asked then, but I couldn't talk to Dr. Gordon before then, and I never told them," he pointed to the girls, "about what I was doing."
"And I wanted to ask mom about it all day, but couldn't work up the courage." Miranda cut in. "Then I met Matt at Dr. Gordon's as I was leaving and he was entering, and it reminded me of the stakes involved." Something in the way she said that caught Matt's attention. She continued. "I made myself ask first chance I had after that."
Lizzie added "I waited until Matt was out of the house so I wouldn't have to worry about him walking in on us."
"I'm glad she waited. That's one conversation I did not wait to hear."
Sam was silently laughing. "That fits what you three were saying, or should I say panicking about, when Miranda first got here." He saw the look both mothers were giving him. "If you two had heard them, you'd have no doubt they're telling the truth about not planning this."
Jo eyed him speculatively. "Well, if you're sure."
"Yeah, I am."
"Alright. But still, it sounds like they all knew the girls were going to ask at some point."
"Miranda and I have had a lot of 'what if' talks. We had already decided that birth control was a precaution we should have." Both mothers looked at Matt sharply, but he wasn't looking at them. He was afraid he'd freeze up if he did. "When the notice about little Jacob came, Miranda suggested that she should talk to Lizzie about it. I agreed, then left the room. I had no idea how their talk went. Honestly, I didn't want to know."
"What she said to me made sense, after I got over the shock."
"Well," Sam stood up, "I think that removes the idea of this afternoon having been planned out." He looked at the mothers. "Daniella, what you decide for Miranda is, of course, not up to us. But, for what it's worth, I'd rest easier if you said yes." He walked up to his wife and hugged her. "That goes for Lizzie, too. I'll leave the final decision to you, but I think they're right about this, and I think we can trust them." He separated from her. "Unless you still need him, I think Matt and I should leave you ladies to talk this out."
She turned to Mrs. Sanchez. "Is that okay with you?"
"Yes, I think that's a good idea."
Matt stood up, then give Miranda a quick kiss. "Good luck." He turned, and followed his father out of the room.
The conversation among the four ladies took another 45 minutes. At the end, both mothers made the same decision. They agreed to the girls' request. However, they wanted each to promise not to tell her boyfriend. Lizzie reluctantly agreed. Miranda flat refused. "I can't keep this a secret from him. With the way he worries about me, if I can take this weight off his mind, I will."
"Miranda, please."
"Mom, no. If you can't trust us enough to give us this safeguard, fine. But I'm NOT hiding it from him."
Her mother sighed. She didn't like either choice, but she knew her daughter. Backing her into a corner was generally a bad idea. "I do trust you. If you think it's that important he knows, I guess I can't stop you."
"Thank you."
"Mom," Lizzie interrupted, "even thought I don't like the idea of keeping this from him, I'll stand by my word. I understand your reason. But, if something should happen, I will tell him then. I don't want him worrying needlessly."
"I guess that's fair. Now that that's settled, let's go tell your father." She turned to Miranda. "I'll ask Matt to come in here. If your going to tell him, you should do so. Besides, that will give your mother a chance to have some words with him about this." She turned to leave in time to miss Miranda's gulp at the thought of what Matt was in for.
~~~~~~~~
The room stayed as it was the night before, with Jo on the cot, and the second bag in place in case she decided to separate them. Matt and Miranda settled down for the evening in roughly the same way they ended up the night before. Even though Miranda was 3 inches taller than him, Matt wouldn't hear of a change, and he had the perfect argument when his mother suggested it. He gave her his best deadpan face. "The most natural way to sleep against someone uses their shoulder and chest as a pillow. Not that I would mind, but I don't think you want my head there on her."
While Miranda tried desperately to stifle a fit of giggles, his mother agreed.
`
Once they were settled, Matt remembered something. "Dr. Gordon said I should tell you something, said I'd find your answer interesting."
"Oh, he did, did he?" Miranda's curiosity was peaked. "And what did he want you to tell me."
"Last night, when you needed me to wake you, didn't you wonder how I knew?"
"I assumed you couldn't sleep, and saw me."
"No. I was awoke by this kind of dull ache at the back of my head. At first, I thought I'd put my head on the bag's zipper. But when I checked, I saw that it couldn't have been that. That's when the ache sharpened. It actually hurt. That's when I remembered the last time I'd felt something like that, and I knew I had to check on you. You see, I'd felt that kind of nagging feeling at the back of my mind Friday. I had no idea what it meant until your mom called. When the phone rang, though, I didn't need to be told it was about you. I just knew."
"I remember that." Jo said from the cot. "But you're saying that you had that feeling last night, only sharper?"
"Yes. What I don't understand is why it would have been sharper, and why Dr. Gordon wanted me to mention it."
Miranda's eyes had gotten very large as he spoke. "I think I can answer both of those. First, the only nightmare I've worse than Friday's was last night. That may be why it was sharper. Second, last night, I had the same thing force me awake in time to help you out of your nightmare, and I told Dr. Gordon."
Now was Matt's turn to go big eyed. "Are you serious?!? But . . . but how?"
"Matt," his mother cut in, "don't ask the unanswerable. Just accept that you two can somehow tell when the other needs you, and hope that neither of you has to prove it again."
He couldn't resist the opening. "I never thought I'd have a spider sense."
"Boys!" both women said with exasperation.
~~~~~~~~
Both Matt and Miranda had some very pleasant dreams. While most could only be written in an NC-17 story, each had one that can, and should, be described here.
~~
Matt found himself in what felt like a living slide show, shifting him from scene to scene as soon as he understood what he was seeing. The first scene, unmistakably, was he and Miranda's first time. He was disappointed in themselves that they didn't seem any older.
The scene shifted to a wedding. When he realized he was in the groom's place at the altar, he couldn't help beaming. Just as he saw Miranda coming down the aisle, and he realized she didn't look any older, the scene shifted again.
At first, he was horrified. A hospital waiting room. Just as he was about to panic, a nurse came to him. "Mr. McGuire?"
"Yes?" He answered without thinking.
"Your wife and the baby are fine. It's a girl."
As the relief washed over him, the scene shifted again, but not far. He was in a hospital room, Miranda smiling at him as he held his baby girl. Looking into her angelic face was a joy he never knew was possible.
The next several scenes were their life together. Another child, a son. First steps. On through the years, he noticed that he and Miranda never appeared to change. His daughter looked older then he did as he gave her away at her wedding. Though it all, they were together. As the final scene approached, he dreaded what was about to come, but couldn't stop it. A hospital room. Although they still didn't look any older, they talked about having just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They both knew she was dying, and this would be goodbye, until the were reunited on the other side. As her heart monitor went flat, he awoke with a jolt. Momentarily panicked, he looked to his shoulder . . . and saw her worried, and very alive, eyes watching him.
"Are you okay?" She was whispering. "I thought, for a moment, this hadn't worked."
"It worked. That wasn't a nightmare. While the ending was heartbreaking, I couldn't have asked for a better dream."
"What was it?"
He unclasped his hands and gently stroked her hair. "Us. For the rest of our very long lives."
"I like the sound of that." She moved up and kissed him. "Do you think you can get back to sleep?"
"Yes. Sweet dreams."
~~
Not long after falling asleep again, Miranda fell into a dream that was very similar to Matt's. Other than a few minor details, the only major difference was, of course, that she experienced giving birth to their children. She also noticed how they didn't seem to age. As the final scene came to its end, she was jolted awake like he had been. She didn't have the chance to look for him, because when she opened her eyes, she found that he must have shifted onto his side, and he was now staring intently into her eyes. He placed his free hand in her temple. "What happened in there?"
"I think I just had your dream. When we wake in the morning, let tell each other exactly what we dreamed. There are some things I can't figure out, yet, but maybe in the morning. Okay?"
He smiled, then kissed her. "My mornings, and everything else, are your's. Always."
"I like the sound of that. Good night."
~~
Jo was a light sleeper, and had heard both exchanges. She was proud of them. For all they knew, she had stayed asleep, yet they didn't seem to even consider trying to get away with anything.
~~~~~~~~
Up next: Gordo and Lizzie talk, Matt talks to Reggie, and words you never thought you'd hear are said.