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: If some of you think Lanny's a little too wordy, consider this: Other than his outburst in the McGuire backyard, only Melina has heard his voice.
Special Thanks to keeponwritin for letting me use her real first name for the middle name of one of the characters.
`
Chapter 29
Questions
`
When they found Lily, she was hiding in her closet. Miranda asked to talk to her first. She opened the door slightly, just enough so they could talk through the opening. She sat down, back to the wall, next to the opening. "Hey, Lily, how are you?"
"Mad" came the pouting/angry reply.
"Why?"
"Because you've been away, and I had to go away!"
"But you're home now, and so am I."
"But you can't stay! You're leaving me again!"
Miranda knew that when her sister hollered like that, it was her way to keep from crying. "How much do you know about why I was away? Do you know where I was?"
"you got hurt. you were in a big, scary place. i went to see you, but you wouldn't wake up." Lily's voice showed she was quickly losing her fight with tears.
"Do you know why I was there?"
"An ax dent."
"Almost right. I was in an accident with Lizzie, Gordo, and another boy named Ethan. We were all hurt." She heard the telltale snuffle. "But we're all better now, Lily. Everyone but Gordo is home, and he'll be back in a couple of days."
"But . . . but you're not back. Not for good. You're leaving me again!" At that, she burst out of the closet, and threw her arms around Miranda. "Please don't leave me! Please! I'll be good girl, you'll see!"
Matt was listening as best he could from just outside the room's open door. At that outburst, he couldn't help thinking 'Is blaming themselves a family trait?'
"What?! Lily, don't think this is your fault. It's not."
"I had to leave when you got hurt! And now you're leaving me for HIM!"
"Lily, that's not it at all."
He decided that was as good a cue as any. He knocked gently on the wall twice. "Lily, can I talk to you a minute?"
"NO!"
He used his best pleading voice. "Please?"
"GO AWAY!"
"Lily! Please, sis, let us talk with you together. What's happening to me is happening to him, too."
"I thought you were better."
"She is better, but something else is happening now. May I come in, please?"
"FINE! But I still don't like you!"
"I can handle that." He sat facing Miranda, Lily still clinging to her. "Lily, do you ever have scary dreams?"
"sometimes."
"Ever have one so bad, you couldn't wake until somebody woke you?"
"Daddy can scare the monsters away." She tried to sound defiant.
"Almost all of them, I'm sure. But, Lily, one of the bad things about growing older is that you meet more scary things. Scary things that can make even worse dreams. Miranda and I are both having these very, VERY, bad dreams."
"But . . . but can't your daddy help you?" She was getting scared.
"No. I wish it were so easy. But, right now, there is only one person who can help me. Your sister."
"Really?" She sounded surprised, and impressed.
"Yes." Miranda answered, picking up her sister's change in tone. "And the only one who can help me is Matt. So we're helping each other until the dreams go away."
"Will they go away?"
"Yes. We need help with that, but we're getting it."
"But why does Randa go away to you? Why can't you stay here?"
'From someone older, that's a loaded question' he thought. "I will be, soon. We're taking turns about where we spend the night. Miranda will be sleeping at my place until Monday. On Monday, she and I will be sleeping here for a while."
"And even on days when I'm sleeping at Matt's, I'll be here most of the day."
She was still looking at Miranda. "Why only you can help him?" She turned to look at Matt. "And why only you help Randa?" She looked very confused by that.
They both looked at each other, clearly thinking the same thing. 'How in the world do we explain this to her?' It was Miranda who hit the idea first. "You've seen how mom and dad kiss me, right?"
"Yeah."
"It's just like they kiss you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, unless they're teasing me."
"But sometimes, when they kiss each other, it looks different, doesn't it?"
Lily started to giggle. "Yeah. They get all giggly and mushy. Like your movies."
Matt tried very hard not to laugh, and managed to limit it to a single snort. Miranda glared at him, and he was thankful she was out of reach of the pillows. She continued. "Do you know why they kiss each other differently?"
"Because they're mommy and daddy." She said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But Lily," Matt cut in, "Do you know why do moms and dads kiss each other differently than they kiss their kids?"
Her brows furrowed. "I don't know. Do you know?"
A pair of knocks at the door. They all turned, and saw Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez at the open door. "Lily, hon, are you feeling better?"
She looked at her mother. "Why you kiss daddy different than me and Randa?" She looked back at Matt. "And what that got to do with why you and Randa only ones can help each other?"
"How about I answer both of those, while they," she motioned to indicate she meant all three of the others in the room, "get the table ready for dinner?"
"Okay."
"We'll be down soon."
They all knew a motherly 'leave' when they heard one. Mr. Sanchez was last out of the room, and closed the door.
~~~~~~~~
Lanny insisted on walking Melina home, believing that not doing so might tip off her mother that something happened. It didn't take too many steps for Melina to realize one common side effect of first times nobody warned her about. She was rather tender down there, and it made for a noticeable difference in her stride. "Why didn't that Parker girl say something about this?"
A look from Lanny.
"Great way to teach me a lesson! If I let mom see me walking like this, she'll know something happened."
Lanny look.
"And what do you purpose I tell her I hurt myself at?!? I can't exactly blame this stride on a sore shoulder."
A sudden worried look.
"No, it's fine. That was just an example."
As they walked past a fallen tree that they had all used for a balance beam at one time or another, Lanny's eye's lit up. Pointing it out, he let the excitement, and relief, at his idea burst from his lips. "You fell off that, like I did last summer!"
Remembering that incident, and then the inspired brilliance of his idea, she smiled a huge smile. "THAT'S PERFECT!" Realizing she was too loud, she went to a near whisper. "That'll work in a number of ways. Great idea."
That settled, they continued toward her home in contented silence, walking hand in hand.
~~~~~~~~
After getting everything on the table, they waited in the living room. Matt marveled at the food Mrs. Sanchez had made. "Please tell me you cook as good as all that food looks."
Miranda smiled at him. "Not yet, but I'm learning. Though if you eat dinner like you eat breakfast, I'm not sure she made enough."
He took the teasing in stride. "I know I eat, but even I couldn't clear THAT table."
"Miranda," Mr. Sanchez cut in, "what were you telling Lily that made her ask about kissing?"
"I was trying to explain what happened, and when we got to why I wasn't sleeping here tonight, we," she indicated Matt and herself, "told her that we needed each other's help. That wasn't good enough, and she asked why we were the only ones the could help each other. Not in those words, of course, but that's what she wanted to know."
Her father winced. "You told her about kissing each other?"
"No, sir." Matt answered. "But, in trying to explain that we love each other, Miranda tried talking about how parents kiss their kids different than they kiss each other."
"Using our family for the example." Mr. Sanchez shook his head. "I know you were only trying to help, Miranda, but you should have come to us. I'm not ready to open that door yet."
"I know you're not." Mrs. Sanchez was in the doorway. Lily was standing behind her. "Neither am I. But she's going to be seeing Matt and her sister together, and she'll have questions. I'd rather have family give her answers than have her find them somewhere else."
Mr. Sanchez grimaced at that. "You're right. Family would be better. And she reads too well to not give her answers."
Nobody had noticed Lily had moved into the room until she was at Matt's knee. "You love Randa?"
He looked her with the seriousness that had become typical of him when talking about Miranda. "Yes. Very much."
"Like daddy loves mommy?"
"Yes."
She turned to her sister. "You love him like mommy loves daddy?"
"Yes."
"Are you a mommy and daddy yet?"
Her parents were both taken aback by that. Somehow, both Miranda and Matt kept their composure Miranda answered her first. "Not yet. Not for a long time."
"But someday, we will." Matt added. "And do you know what that will make you?"
"What?"
"You would be our child's Aunt Lily."
She seemed to like that idea.
~~~~~~~~
When they got Melina home, they decided to try the normal 'sneak past mom so she won't know I'm hurt' routine. As expected, it didn't work. "Melina, get back here." They both returned to where her mother was in the kitchen. 'I know what that walk looks like, but I should ask, she's had some strange injuries before.' "What happened to get you walking like that?"
"Oh, no big deal. I fell off that stupid log in the park, but I'll be okay."
Lanny looked awful nervous to her mother. "And how does falling off a log get you walking like that?"
"I did the splits without meaning to."
Her mother winced. 'Plausible story. Still, the boy looks more nervous than I'd expect for this.' "Go upstairs, check for cuts, apply salve, you know the drill." She turned to Lanny. "Thank you for bringing her back. She's still getting grounded for her behavior today and Monday, but I'll let you know when you can see her again. Now, you should head home before your folks get worried."
After a lingering hug with Melina, he left. Melina turned and started toward the stairs. "A should go check myself now."
"MELINA AUBREY BIANCO!" Melina froze. "Get back here!" She slowly returned. "I wanted the boy gone before I spoke to you. I've seen that kind of walk more than once. While your story is plausible, especially with your history of stunts, that's not what normally causes it. I want you to look me in the eyes and answer something." Slowly, Melina's eyes met hers. The slowness renewed her dread, so she decided on the direct approach. "Did you make love with Lanny today?"
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Nothing like a point-blank question from mom to test your resolve. Will Melina be able to withstand her mother's direct questioning? That, and more, coming soon.
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: If some of you think Lanny's a little too wordy, consider this: Other than his outburst in the McGuire backyard, only Melina has heard his voice.
Special Thanks to keeponwritin for letting me use her real first name for the middle name of one of the characters.
`
Chapter 29
Questions
`
When they found Lily, she was hiding in her closet. Miranda asked to talk to her first. She opened the door slightly, just enough so they could talk through the opening. She sat down, back to the wall, next to the opening. "Hey, Lily, how are you?"
"Mad" came the pouting/angry reply.
"Why?"
"Because you've been away, and I had to go away!"
"But you're home now, and so am I."
"But you can't stay! You're leaving me again!"
Miranda knew that when her sister hollered like that, it was her way to keep from crying. "How much do you know about why I was away? Do you know where I was?"
"you got hurt. you were in a big, scary place. i went to see you, but you wouldn't wake up." Lily's voice showed she was quickly losing her fight with tears.
"Do you know why I was there?"
"An ax dent."
"Almost right. I was in an accident with Lizzie, Gordo, and another boy named Ethan. We were all hurt." She heard the telltale snuffle. "But we're all better now, Lily. Everyone but Gordo is home, and he'll be back in a couple of days."
"But . . . but you're not back. Not for good. You're leaving me again!" At that, she burst out of the closet, and threw her arms around Miranda. "Please don't leave me! Please! I'll be good girl, you'll see!"
Matt was listening as best he could from just outside the room's open door. At that outburst, he couldn't help thinking 'Is blaming themselves a family trait?'
"What?! Lily, don't think this is your fault. It's not."
"I had to leave when you got hurt! And now you're leaving me for HIM!"
"Lily, that's not it at all."
He decided that was as good a cue as any. He knocked gently on the wall twice. "Lily, can I talk to you a minute?"
"NO!"
He used his best pleading voice. "Please?"
"GO AWAY!"
"Lily! Please, sis, let us talk with you together. What's happening to me is happening to him, too."
"I thought you were better."
"She is better, but something else is happening now. May I come in, please?"
"FINE! But I still don't like you!"
"I can handle that." He sat facing Miranda, Lily still clinging to her. "Lily, do you ever have scary dreams?"
"sometimes."
"Ever have one so bad, you couldn't wake until somebody woke you?"
"Daddy can scare the monsters away." She tried to sound defiant.
"Almost all of them, I'm sure. But, Lily, one of the bad things about growing older is that you meet more scary things. Scary things that can make even worse dreams. Miranda and I are both having these very, VERY, bad dreams."
"But . . . but can't your daddy help you?" She was getting scared.
"No. I wish it were so easy. But, right now, there is only one person who can help me. Your sister."
"Really?" She sounded surprised, and impressed.
"Yes." Miranda answered, picking up her sister's change in tone. "And the only one who can help me is Matt. So we're helping each other until the dreams go away."
"Will they go away?"
"Yes. We need help with that, but we're getting it."
"But why does Randa go away to you? Why can't you stay here?"
'From someone older, that's a loaded question' he thought. "I will be, soon. We're taking turns about where we spend the night. Miranda will be sleeping at my place until Monday. On Monday, she and I will be sleeping here for a while."
"And even on days when I'm sleeping at Matt's, I'll be here most of the day."
She was still looking at Miranda. "Why only you can help him?" She turned to look at Matt. "And why only you help Randa?" She looked very confused by that.
They both looked at each other, clearly thinking the same thing. 'How in the world do we explain this to her?' It was Miranda who hit the idea first. "You've seen how mom and dad kiss me, right?"
"Yeah."
"It's just like they kiss you, isn't it?"
"Yeah, unless they're teasing me."
"But sometimes, when they kiss each other, it looks different, doesn't it?"
Lily started to giggle. "Yeah. They get all giggly and mushy. Like your movies."
Matt tried very hard not to laugh, and managed to limit it to a single snort. Miranda glared at him, and he was thankful she was out of reach of the pillows. She continued. "Do you know why they kiss each other differently?"
"Because they're mommy and daddy." She said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"But Lily," Matt cut in, "Do you know why do moms and dads kiss each other differently than they kiss their kids?"
Her brows furrowed. "I don't know. Do you know?"
A pair of knocks at the door. They all turned, and saw Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez at the open door. "Lily, hon, are you feeling better?"
She looked at her mother. "Why you kiss daddy different than me and Randa?" She looked back at Matt. "And what that got to do with why you and Randa only ones can help each other?"
"How about I answer both of those, while they," she motioned to indicate she meant all three of the others in the room, "get the table ready for dinner?"
"Okay."
"We'll be down soon."
They all knew a motherly 'leave' when they heard one. Mr. Sanchez was last out of the room, and closed the door.
~~~~~~~~
Lanny insisted on walking Melina home, believing that not doing so might tip off her mother that something happened. It didn't take too many steps for Melina to realize one common side effect of first times nobody warned her about. She was rather tender down there, and it made for a noticeable difference in her stride. "Why didn't that Parker girl say something about this?"
A look from Lanny.
"Great way to teach me a lesson! If I let mom see me walking like this, she'll know something happened."
Lanny look.
"And what do you purpose I tell her I hurt myself at?!? I can't exactly blame this stride on a sore shoulder."
A sudden worried look.
"No, it's fine. That was just an example."
As they walked past a fallen tree that they had all used for a balance beam at one time or another, Lanny's eye's lit up. Pointing it out, he let the excitement, and relief, at his idea burst from his lips. "You fell off that, like I did last summer!"
Remembering that incident, and then the inspired brilliance of his idea, she smiled a huge smile. "THAT'S PERFECT!" Realizing she was too loud, she went to a near whisper. "That'll work in a number of ways. Great idea."
That settled, they continued toward her home in contented silence, walking hand in hand.
~~~~~~~~
After getting everything on the table, they waited in the living room. Matt marveled at the food Mrs. Sanchez had made. "Please tell me you cook as good as all that food looks."
Miranda smiled at him. "Not yet, but I'm learning. Though if you eat dinner like you eat breakfast, I'm not sure she made enough."
He took the teasing in stride. "I know I eat, but even I couldn't clear THAT table."
"Miranda," Mr. Sanchez cut in, "what were you telling Lily that made her ask about kissing?"
"I was trying to explain what happened, and when we got to why I wasn't sleeping here tonight, we," she indicated Matt and herself, "told her that we needed each other's help. That wasn't good enough, and she asked why we were the only ones the could help each other. Not in those words, of course, but that's what she wanted to know."
Her father winced. "You told her about kissing each other?"
"No, sir." Matt answered. "But, in trying to explain that we love each other, Miranda tried talking about how parents kiss their kids different than they kiss each other."
"Using our family for the example." Mr. Sanchez shook his head. "I know you were only trying to help, Miranda, but you should have come to us. I'm not ready to open that door yet."
"I know you're not." Mrs. Sanchez was in the doorway. Lily was standing behind her. "Neither am I. But she's going to be seeing Matt and her sister together, and she'll have questions. I'd rather have family give her answers than have her find them somewhere else."
Mr. Sanchez grimaced at that. "You're right. Family would be better. And she reads too well to not give her answers."
Nobody had noticed Lily had moved into the room until she was at Matt's knee. "You love Randa?"
He looked her with the seriousness that had become typical of him when talking about Miranda. "Yes. Very much."
"Like daddy loves mommy?"
"Yes."
She turned to her sister. "You love him like mommy loves daddy?"
"Yes."
"Are you a mommy and daddy yet?"
Her parents were both taken aback by that. Somehow, both Miranda and Matt kept their composure Miranda answered her first. "Not yet. Not for a long time."
"But someday, we will." Matt added. "And do you know what that will make you?"
"What?"
"You would be our child's Aunt Lily."
She seemed to like that idea.
~~~~~~~~
When they got Melina home, they decided to try the normal 'sneak past mom so she won't know I'm hurt' routine. As expected, it didn't work. "Melina, get back here." They both returned to where her mother was in the kitchen. 'I know what that walk looks like, but I should ask, she's had some strange injuries before.' "What happened to get you walking like that?"
"Oh, no big deal. I fell off that stupid log in the park, but I'll be okay."
Lanny looked awful nervous to her mother. "And how does falling off a log get you walking like that?"
"I did the splits without meaning to."
Her mother winced. 'Plausible story. Still, the boy looks more nervous than I'd expect for this.' "Go upstairs, check for cuts, apply salve, you know the drill." She turned to Lanny. "Thank you for bringing her back. She's still getting grounded for her behavior today and Monday, but I'll let you know when you can see her again. Now, you should head home before your folks get worried."
After a lingering hug with Melina, he left. Melina turned and started toward the stairs. "A should go check myself now."
"MELINA AUBREY BIANCO!" Melina froze. "Get back here!" She slowly returned. "I wanted the boy gone before I spoke to you. I've seen that kind of walk more than once. While your story is plausible, especially with your history of stunts, that's not what normally causes it. I want you to look me in the eyes and answer something." Slowly, Melina's eyes met hers. The slowness renewed her dread, so she decided on the direct approach. "Did you make love with Lanny today?"
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Nothing like a point-blank question from mom to test your resolve. Will Melina be able to withstand her mother's direct questioning? That, and more, coming soon.