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.
`
Chapter 30
Answers and Truths
`
Call it a stare down, a test of wills, or a psychological duel. Whatever you call it, it was one of those defining moments in a parent/child relationship. It first, Melina's will held. After all, she'd kept other things from her mother with no problem. But never something this big, and that weighed on her. For all her reasons to tell and not to tell, it finally came down to one thing. Lanny's words 'What if you're . . .', and how, if true, it would change everything.
Melina's mother wasn't sure what to expect from her, but what she started to see in Melina's face hadn't been there since she was seven. It started small, almost imperceptibly, with a twitch under her right eye. As long as it had been, her mother acted on instinct. Remembering that for Melina to open up, you had to let her come to you, she stood her ground, but opened her arms slightly, just enough.
The time between the question and what was about to happen was the space between three heartbeats.
In an act none but her mother could have seen coming, Melina threw herself into her mother's arms. The tough teenage tomboy had been reduced to a crying little girl by a woman's fear. After calming down enough to talk coherently, she told her mother the events of the afternoon. From the sandwiches she ate with amazing speed, to the talking, which turned to kissing, which turned to touching, and on down the progression until they made love, neither wanting to stop themselves. She continued to being found by Matt and company, and the lecture they got from Parker and Larry. "We know we messed up big time! We know we can't let it happen again for a long time. But," She raised her tear-streaked face to look at her mother, "what if it's already too late? Lanny used protection but, what if it didn't work? I can't be a mother yet! I'm nowhere close to ready for that. I'm scared, mom."
"I know, baby, I know. You have every right to be scared. We need to have a very long talk about everything that's happened today."
"Are you mad at me?"
"No. I am very disappointed in the choices you've made, and you have quite the punishment coming your way. But right now, know that I love you, and I always will."
"Thanks, mom."
"There is something we need to do. Lanny should be in on the discussion about what to do if you're pregnant, and that means telling his parents."
"I was afraid you'd say that."
~~~~~~~~
Dinner at the Sanchez home tasted as wonderful as it looked. Matt was trying hard not to shovel his food, although the giggles from Lily when he forgot brightened everyone in the room. Matt was doing his best to make friends with Lily, and in the process was looking more and more like the trouble-making little boy Miranda had always seen him as before. Lily seemed to have improved in mood, but nobody had any doubts that would change when it came time for Miranda to leave tonight. Both of those thoughts gave Miranda a pang of guilt, but she swallowed it back.
Not quickly enough to go unnoticed by experienced eyes. When dinner was done, Miranda's mom 'volunteered' her to help in the cleanup. Knowing that meant her mom wanted to talk, Miranda didn't try to argue. Once they were alone at the sink, her mother turned to her. "Something was troubling you in there. I saw the look on your face as you watched Matt and Lily. What's wrong?"
"It's hard to explain, even to myself."
"Try. You know by now it helps to talk."
"Yes, it does." She stopped to gather her thoughts. "Seeing him with her reminded me of the little boy he used to be."
"He seems to be getting back to his old self."
"No, he's not." Her mother looked puzzled. "Matt's trying to make her laugh at him, to win her with silliness. Before, he didn't have to try. It just happened, natural as could be. This time, I can tell he has to put an effort into it. Don't get me wrong, I love who he is, and who he's becoming, but . . ."
"You think he's losing his childhood because of all this." Miranda nodded. "Strange, but I remember the last time I saw him before the crash, I wondered at how, at thirteen, he still acted ten." Miranda clearly scowled at her. "I'm not saying he needed to grow-up this fast. But maybe, once all this settles down, he'll be closer to where you and your friends were at his age."
"Maybe." She sounded doubtful.
"If you're worried about it, maybe you should take him somewhere and just have fun."
Miranda looked amused. "Are you suggesting I take him on a date?"
"It's the 21st century, you're allowed." Both chuckled at that. "Miranda, you and I both know he's already talked about marriage at least once, and I know you well enough to know how real your feelings for him are. Wouldn't it seem a little odd to take a ring from someone you haven't dated yet?"
"Yes, it will." She said that without thinking. Both of their eyes got huge. "How did you know? Did Lizzie tell you?"
"She didn't say anything. I was thinking about a few years from now, but it sounds like you're thinking earlier. What in the world is going on over there?"
"Nothing like that, mom. But . . . I haven't been able to get the idea out of my mind. I know I told him Friday it was too soon, but now, that's only half true. It's still too soon to marry, but not for an engagement. The next time he asks, whether it's a decade from now, or tonight, I'm saying yes. I hope you're not upset."
"I'm surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be." Miranda looked confused. "Even though it took him longer than it seems to be taking Matt, I would have said yes to your father's ring when I was fifteen."
"No way. You?"
"Yes, me. I was a girl in love too, you know. I still am." That caused Miranda to blush. Her mother laughed. "Let's get these dishes done."
~~~~~~~~
The men, and Lily, went to the living room after being dismissed from the dining room. Matt and Lily sat on the couch and fell into a staring contest. Before either blinked, the phone rang. Mr. Sanchez answered. "Hello." A brief pause. "How are you doing?" A longer pause. "He's here. I'll get him." He placed the receiver on the table, then turned to Matt, looking puzzled. "That's Ethan, and he wants to talk to you."
Now Matt looked puzzled. "Why would Ethan be calling me? It's not like we're in the same circles. He isn't even dating Lizzie anymore."
"I WIN!"
"What? Hey, no fair!" Lily just stuck her tongue out at him.
Her father barely withheld his laughter. "I don't know why he called, but he's waiting for you."
Matt got up and went to the phone. "Hello?" A pause. "That's one way to put it." A pause. "Well, what is it?" A long pause. "WHAT! Ethan, are you . . . I mean that's great. I'm glad she said yes, and I wish you both the best, but, wasn't it a little sudden?" A brief pause. "NO! Please, Ethan, I don't need those details. Besides, I really have no room to talk about sudden." A brief pause. "No, not yet, but . . . I shouldn't say more here." A pause. "Thanks. I just might take you up on that. Congratulations, Ethan. Bye." Matt reset the receiver on the phone, and started laughing.
"May I ask what that was all about?"
"You should sit down for this. Come to think of it, so should I." They both sat down, Mr. Sanchez next to Lily, Matt in the chair Dr. Gordon had used on Saturday. "It seems Ethan beat both Gordo and I to the question."
It took a moment for that to sink in. Before he had a chance to respond, a confused Lily asked "What question?"
Matt smiled at her. "You know how I feel about your sister." She nodded. "Gordo feels like that for my sister Lizzie, and Ethan feels like that for a girl named Kate. Well, Ethan called to tell me that he asked Kate to marry him. And she said yes."
"Really? Like in Randa's movies?"
"I'm not sure of all the details, but he said he got on his knee."
Lily squealed in delight. Her father was still curious about something else. "Did he say why he called you?"
"He's got it in his head that I'm the reason that he and Kate got back together. Says that the way I talked about my feelings for Miranda kicked him in the right direction. But I didn't say anything more to him than I said to anyone else."
"You do have a way of getting to people when she's the subject. But why were you laughing?"
"Because they've only been back together for a week. And, based on what he said before, their first time around dating was, um," he glanced at Lily, trying to make the older man understand he was trying to carefully censor his words, "only to do what you said was the only thing boys my age were interested in." The look on the man's face made it clear that he understood. "So they've only been in love, and known it, for a week!"
"I shouldn't have to remind you that you only knew your feeling for Miranda for a week when I first heard you talk about marriage last Friday."
Lily's eyes lit up. "YOU'RE MARRYING RANDA?!" she squealed.
After their hearts started beating again, Matt and her father tried to calm her down. "Please, Lily, not so loud."
"Lily, look at me please." She turned to Matt. "I haven't asked her yet, and I'm not going to for awhile. But, yes, some day I will marry Miranda."
"But why you not ask yet?"
'This could get complicated.' "We're still too young."
"No you're not, you're old like Randa." Her father just about fell over fighting back his laughter at that.
Matt saw that, and had to play the next line. "If I'm old, what are your parents?"
"REALLY old!"
After he buried the laughter the older man's face at that line gave him, he continued. "Well, I may be old to you, but I'm still not old enough to get married. When it's time, I'll ask her. Can you keep that a secret for me until then?"
She gave him a thumbs up. "Okay."
Both men had something else they wanted to talk about, but not with Lily around. So they spent the rest of the time before the ladies returned from the kitchen entertaining Lily.
~~~~~~~~
When Jo came to pick up Matt and Miranda, Lily made the predictable scene. Matt managed to gently catch her fist this time. He crouched down to be closer to her height. "Lily, I thought we talked about this. Miranda and I need each other's help at night. But she'll be back tomorrow morning."
"It will be like when I go to Lizzie's for a sleepover, only I'll be with Matt instead."
"I miss you. Can't I go with you?"
Miranda looked at her parents, but before any of them could say anything, Matt spoke to Lily. "I don't think that's a good idea. You've never seen what we're like when we have our worst dreams. You called Miranda and me old earlier. Old as we are, it still scares us terribly to see each other in such a dream. Do you really want to see something that scares us?" He wasn't sure if he'd overstepped his bounds, but it just felt to him like the thing that needed saying. A look and a nod from her mother, however, calmed his concern. She, at least, understood.
"no."
"I would never ask you to. Please, let us deal with this, okay?"
She had to think about that a minute. "okay."
~~~~
As they pulled away, Miranda spoke to Matt. "You're getting very good with Lily, and I think you're going to be a great dad when that day comes, but did you have to scare her like that?"
"I couldn't think of away other way for her to understand. And it was the truth. We've both admitted how scared we are when other is in a bad one. If it's a choice between scaring her as I did, or letting her see her sister like that, I don't think there is a choice."
The look on her face conceded the point. "I guess you were wrong before. You can win an argument with me."
"I'll have to remember that. On a happier subject, I got a call while you were in the kitchen. From Ethan." The incredulous look on her face made him smile. 'She even makes that look good.'
"Ethan called you? Dare I ask what he called about?"
"I'll tell you when we get home, so I can tell Lizzie at the same time. Trust me, it's worth the wait."
"Sounds interesting."
~~~~~~~~
Once everyone gathered in the McGuire living room, Matt started. "When I got on the phone, he asked if I was surprised to here from him. I was, and told him so. He then said that I was responsible for he and Kate getting back together."
"How on earth does he figure that?" Lizzie asked.
'Uh-oh. Think, Matt, think.' "When Miranda and I saw him before we visited you Thursday, I told him about us the same way I told you. He believes that listening to that story pushed him in the right direction."
"Away from me."
"Freeing you for Gordo." Miranda reminded her. "You and Ethan's breakup was the best for both of you."
"You don't know the half of it yet." Matt cut in. "He told me that he decided that he couldn't wait any longer, so he got out the family heirloom that was pasted to him on his sixteenth birthday, and asked Kate to stand in front of him." He saw that he had the girls' rapt attention, and milked it. "When she took his left hand so he knew she was there, he got on one knee, showed her the ring in his right hand, and proposed." He stopped there, waiting to see who'd crack first.
Lizzie did. "Don't just sit there, what did she say?!?"
He smiled. "She said yes." While they seemed pleased, he was a little surprised they didn't squeal like Lily did, then he remembered that they still hadn't reconciled with Kate. It was easy for him, he didn't have the same past with her they did. But judging from what she had said to him in Ethan's hospital room Friday, it might be time. "She hasn't come to you two yet, has she?"
"Why would she?" Lizzie asked.
'Time to bit the bullet, but I'll do it slowly.' "Don't get mad, Lizzie, but the reason I got to your room after mom did Friday was because I went to see Ethan."
"WHAT?!? Matt, please tell me you didn't do anything."
"I didn't, because there was no need. Lizzie, you've figured from what Miranda and I said to you that we wanted to get you and Gordo together, right?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"
Both his parents, and Miranda, knew the story. The all watched intently, wondering how this would play out. "It has to do with this because of something I've been keeping from you. There was a late third conspirator in the plan. Somebody who already knew what he was going to do, and hoped to make some good come out of it. Ethan."
Lizzie was visibly shaking. "What does that mean EXACTLY?"
"It means that, in our talk Thursday morning, he reviled that he loved Kate, he'd been scared of his feelings, and ran from her. He said listening to me talk about Miranda and I made him realize that he couldn't waste time hiding from his feeling. Personally, I think his going blind had more to do with it. Whatever did it, he was resolved on breaking up with you and trying to reconcile with Kate. I'll admit, when he first started talking, I wanted to deck him for you, but Miranda held me back until he finished. In the end, we agreed that, since he was going to break up with you, we should at least try to use it to help you go to the person you really love. Gordo. It was Ethan's idea for me to deck him."
"You set me up?!?"
"You have no idea what seeing you get hurt did to me. I've only had more contempt for myself once, and that was Monday." He didn't need to say any more to see that register with her. "But, Lizzie, we now know that it helped cause two good things. First, you're with Gordo, where you've belonged all along."
"I don't know rather I should hit you two or hug you! But I guess you," she nodded toward her brother, "have been beating yourself up pretty good about it. Just promise me you'll never do that to me again."
"Deal." He couldn't believe he was getting off this lightly.
She read her brothers relief. "I'm still upset with you, both of you. But I understand your reasons, so I can forgive you."
"It seems that Matt isn't the only one growing up." Sam remarked. Lizzie blushed. "I'll go make sure the room is ready." With that, he stood and left the room.
"Now, you said two things. What's the second?"
"The second will surprise you. Kate seems to be trying to be nice again." Both girls looked at him as if he were crazy. "I'm not crazy, at least not about that. When I was visiting Ethan Friday, Kate was there. I asked them if that meant they were okay. At first, she was going to snap at me the way you've described she does. But then, after a reminder from Ethan, she caught herself, apologized, and asked me to forgive her."
"She did what?!?" Miranda couldn't believe it. "Matt, are you sure this was Kate you met?"
Lizzie seemed to get lost in thought. "Gordo mentioned that they had visited him together. He was embarrassed by something they did or said, and won't talk about that. But he did say he heard Kate complain about how nobody told her being nice to us would be uncomfortable."
"Yep," Miranda cut in, "that's Kate."
"Miranda, love, just based on what I've overheard from you guys, I know you have plenty of reason to dislike her." He turned to Lizzie. "Both of you do. But I get the feeling she may be trying to change."
"Maybe you girls could give her another chance." They looked at Jo questioningly. "Not necessarily to be her friends again, but at least to end the hostility. It does sound like she's going to try to change."
"I've had the feeling more than once that the old Kate was still there. Maybe being with Ethan will finally bring that out." Lizzie turned to her friend. "I'll understand if you don't want to, but I'm willing to try. What could it hurt?"
"And what do you think she'll do when she learns about Matt and me?"
"She already knows." Miranda turned her head to him, stunned. "Ethan had already told her by the time I spoke to them. When I learned that, I, uh, questioned her about what she was going to do with the information. She admitted that she would have harassed you BEFORE ETHAN. But I guess they had a long talk after she showed up the day before, and she said she had a lot to think about. I honestly don't think she'll be a problem."
"You QUESTIONED her? Matt, what did you do?"
"Nothing, honest!" She was staring a hole in him. "I might have fallen into an icy tone, but really, I didn't do or say anything threatening."
She shook her head. "Hon, your 'icy tone' is threat enough. Still, for her to say that." She turned to Lizzie. "Do you really think that Ice Queen can thaw?"
"Stranger things have happened."
Matt and Miranda looked at each other, remembered their day in the park, and said together "Tell us about it!"
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Will this be other peaceful night? Will the girls reconcile with Kate? Will Melina be off grounding before graduation? That, and more, still to come. Stay tuned.
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.
`
Chapter 30
Answers and Truths
`
Call it a stare down, a test of wills, or a psychological duel. Whatever you call it, it was one of those defining moments in a parent/child relationship. It first, Melina's will held. After all, she'd kept other things from her mother with no problem. But never something this big, and that weighed on her. For all her reasons to tell and not to tell, it finally came down to one thing. Lanny's words 'What if you're . . .', and how, if true, it would change everything.
Melina's mother wasn't sure what to expect from her, but what she started to see in Melina's face hadn't been there since she was seven. It started small, almost imperceptibly, with a twitch under her right eye. As long as it had been, her mother acted on instinct. Remembering that for Melina to open up, you had to let her come to you, she stood her ground, but opened her arms slightly, just enough.
The time between the question and what was about to happen was the space between three heartbeats.
In an act none but her mother could have seen coming, Melina threw herself into her mother's arms. The tough teenage tomboy had been reduced to a crying little girl by a woman's fear. After calming down enough to talk coherently, she told her mother the events of the afternoon. From the sandwiches she ate with amazing speed, to the talking, which turned to kissing, which turned to touching, and on down the progression until they made love, neither wanting to stop themselves. She continued to being found by Matt and company, and the lecture they got from Parker and Larry. "We know we messed up big time! We know we can't let it happen again for a long time. But," She raised her tear-streaked face to look at her mother, "what if it's already too late? Lanny used protection but, what if it didn't work? I can't be a mother yet! I'm nowhere close to ready for that. I'm scared, mom."
"I know, baby, I know. You have every right to be scared. We need to have a very long talk about everything that's happened today."
"Are you mad at me?"
"No. I am very disappointed in the choices you've made, and you have quite the punishment coming your way. But right now, know that I love you, and I always will."
"Thanks, mom."
"There is something we need to do. Lanny should be in on the discussion about what to do if you're pregnant, and that means telling his parents."
"I was afraid you'd say that."
~~~~~~~~
Dinner at the Sanchez home tasted as wonderful as it looked. Matt was trying hard not to shovel his food, although the giggles from Lily when he forgot brightened everyone in the room. Matt was doing his best to make friends with Lily, and in the process was looking more and more like the trouble-making little boy Miranda had always seen him as before. Lily seemed to have improved in mood, but nobody had any doubts that would change when it came time for Miranda to leave tonight. Both of those thoughts gave Miranda a pang of guilt, but she swallowed it back.
Not quickly enough to go unnoticed by experienced eyes. When dinner was done, Miranda's mom 'volunteered' her to help in the cleanup. Knowing that meant her mom wanted to talk, Miranda didn't try to argue. Once they were alone at the sink, her mother turned to her. "Something was troubling you in there. I saw the look on your face as you watched Matt and Lily. What's wrong?"
"It's hard to explain, even to myself."
"Try. You know by now it helps to talk."
"Yes, it does." She stopped to gather her thoughts. "Seeing him with her reminded me of the little boy he used to be."
"He seems to be getting back to his old self."
"No, he's not." Her mother looked puzzled. "Matt's trying to make her laugh at him, to win her with silliness. Before, he didn't have to try. It just happened, natural as could be. This time, I can tell he has to put an effort into it. Don't get me wrong, I love who he is, and who he's becoming, but . . ."
"You think he's losing his childhood because of all this." Miranda nodded. "Strange, but I remember the last time I saw him before the crash, I wondered at how, at thirteen, he still acted ten." Miranda clearly scowled at her. "I'm not saying he needed to grow-up this fast. But maybe, once all this settles down, he'll be closer to where you and your friends were at his age."
"Maybe." She sounded doubtful.
"If you're worried about it, maybe you should take him somewhere and just have fun."
Miranda looked amused. "Are you suggesting I take him on a date?"
"It's the 21st century, you're allowed." Both chuckled at that. "Miranda, you and I both know he's already talked about marriage at least once, and I know you well enough to know how real your feelings for him are. Wouldn't it seem a little odd to take a ring from someone you haven't dated yet?"
"Yes, it will." She said that without thinking. Both of their eyes got huge. "How did you know? Did Lizzie tell you?"
"She didn't say anything. I was thinking about a few years from now, but it sounds like you're thinking earlier. What in the world is going on over there?"
"Nothing like that, mom. But . . . I haven't been able to get the idea out of my mind. I know I told him Friday it was too soon, but now, that's only half true. It's still too soon to marry, but not for an engagement. The next time he asks, whether it's a decade from now, or tonight, I'm saying yes. I hope you're not upset."
"I'm surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be." Miranda looked confused. "Even though it took him longer than it seems to be taking Matt, I would have said yes to your father's ring when I was fifteen."
"No way. You?"
"Yes, me. I was a girl in love too, you know. I still am." That caused Miranda to blush. Her mother laughed. "Let's get these dishes done."
~~~~~~~~
The men, and Lily, went to the living room after being dismissed from the dining room. Matt and Lily sat on the couch and fell into a staring contest. Before either blinked, the phone rang. Mr. Sanchez answered. "Hello." A brief pause. "How are you doing?" A longer pause. "He's here. I'll get him." He placed the receiver on the table, then turned to Matt, looking puzzled. "That's Ethan, and he wants to talk to you."
Now Matt looked puzzled. "Why would Ethan be calling me? It's not like we're in the same circles. He isn't even dating Lizzie anymore."
"I WIN!"
"What? Hey, no fair!" Lily just stuck her tongue out at him.
Her father barely withheld his laughter. "I don't know why he called, but he's waiting for you."
Matt got up and went to the phone. "Hello?" A pause. "That's one way to put it." A pause. "Well, what is it?" A long pause. "WHAT! Ethan, are you . . . I mean that's great. I'm glad she said yes, and I wish you both the best, but, wasn't it a little sudden?" A brief pause. "NO! Please, Ethan, I don't need those details. Besides, I really have no room to talk about sudden." A brief pause. "No, not yet, but . . . I shouldn't say more here." A pause. "Thanks. I just might take you up on that. Congratulations, Ethan. Bye." Matt reset the receiver on the phone, and started laughing.
"May I ask what that was all about?"
"You should sit down for this. Come to think of it, so should I." They both sat down, Mr. Sanchez next to Lily, Matt in the chair Dr. Gordon had used on Saturday. "It seems Ethan beat both Gordo and I to the question."
It took a moment for that to sink in. Before he had a chance to respond, a confused Lily asked "What question?"
Matt smiled at her. "You know how I feel about your sister." She nodded. "Gordo feels like that for my sister Lizzie, and Ethan feels like that for a girl named Kate. Well, Ethan called to tell me that he asked Kate to marry him. And she said yes."
"Really? Like in Randa's movies?"
"I'm not sure of all the details, but he said he got on his knee."
Lily squealed in delight. Her father was still curious about something else. "Did he say why he called you?"
"He's got it in his head that I'm the reason that he and Kate got back together. Says that the way I talked about my feelings for Miranda kicked him in the right direction. But I didn't say anything more to him than I said to anyone else."
"You do have a way of getting to people when she's the subject. But why were you laughing?"
"Because they've only been back together for a week. And, based on what he said before, their first time around dating was, um," he glanced at Lily, trying to make the older man understand he was trying to carefully censor his words, "only to do what you said was the only thing boys my age were interested in." The look on the man's face made it clear that he understood. "So they've only been in love, and known it, for a week!"
"I shouldn't have to remind you that you only knew your feeling for Miranda for a week when I first heard you talk about marriage last Friday."
Lily's eyes lit up. "YOU'RE MARRYING RANDA?!" she squealed.
After their hearts started beating again, Matt and her father tried to calm her down. "Please, Lily, not so loud."
"Lily, look at me please." She turned to Matt. "I haven't asked her yet, and I'm not going to for awhile. But, yes, some day I will marry Miranda."
"But why you not ask yet?"
'This could get complicated.' "We're still too young."
"No you're not, you're old like Randa." Her father just about fell over fighting back his laughter at that.
Matt saw that, and had to play the next line. "If I'm old, what are your parents?"
"REALLY old!"
After he buried the laughter the older man's face at that line gave him, he continued. "Well, I may be old to you, but I'm still not old enough to get married. When it's time, I'll ask her. Can you keep that a secret for me until then?"
She gave him a thumbs up. "Okay."
Both men had something else they wanted to talk about, but not with Lily around. So they spent the rest of the time before the ladies returned from the kitchen entertaining Lily.
~~~~~~~~
When Jo came to pick up Matt and Miranda, Lily made the predictable scene. Matt managed to gently catch her fist this time. He crouched down to be closer to her height. "Lily, I thought we talked about this. Miranda and I need each other's help at night. But she'll be back tomorrow morning."
"It will be like when I go to Lizzie's for a sleepover, only I'll be with Matt instead."
"I miss you. Can't I go with you?"
Miranda looked at her parents, but before any of them could say anything, Matt spoke to Lily. "I don't think that's a good idea. You've never seen what we're like when we have our worst dreams. You called Miranda and me old earlier. Old as we are, it still scares us terribly to see each other in such a dream. Do you really want to see something that scares us?" He wasn't sure if he'd overstepped his bounds, but it just felt to him like the thing that needed saying. A look and a nod from her mother, however, calmed his concern. She, at least, understood.
"no."
"I would never ask you to. Please, let us deal with this, okay?"
She had to think about that a minute. "okay."
~~~~
As they pulled away, Miranda spoke to Matt. "You're getting very good with Lily, and I think you're going to be a great dad when that day comes, but did you have to scare her like that?"
"I couldn't think of away other way for her to understand. And it was the truth. We've both admitted how scared we are when other is in a bad one. If it's a choice between scaring her as I did, or letting her see her sister like that, I don't think there is a choice."
The look on her face conceded the point. "I guess you were wrong before. You can win an argument with me."
"I'll have to remember that. On a happier subject, I got a call while you were in the kitchen. From Ethan." The incredulous look on her face made him smile. 'She even makes that look good.'
"Ethan called you? Dare I ask what he called about?"
"I'll tell you when we get home, so I can tell Lizzie at the same time. Trust me, it's worth the wait."
"Sounds interesting."
~~~~~~~~
Once everyone gathered in the McGuire living room, Matt started. "When I got on the phone, he asked if I was surprised to here from him. I was, and told him so. He then said that I was responsible for he and Kate getting back together."
"How on earth does he figure that?" Lizzie asked.
'Uh-oh. Think, Matt, think.' "When Miranda and I saw him before we visited you Thursday, I told him about us the same way I told you. He believes that listening to that story pushed him in the right direction."
"Away from me."
"Freeing you for Gordo." Miranda reminded her. "You and Ethan's breakup was the best for both of you."
"You don't know the half of it yet." Matt cut in. "He told me that he decided that he couldn't wait any longer, so he got out the family heirloom that was pasted to him on his sixteenth birthday, and asked Kate to stand in front of him." He saw that he had the girls' rapt attention, and milked it. "When she took his left hand so he knew she was there, he got on one knee, showed her the ring in his right hand, and proposed." He stopped there, waiting to see who'd crack first.
Lizzie did. "Don't just sit there, what did she say?!?"
He smiled. "She said yes." While they seemed pleased, he was a little surprised they didn't squeal like Lily did, then he remembered that they still hadn't reconciled with Kate. It was easy for him, he didn't have the same past with her they did. But judging from what she had said to him in Ethan's hospital room Friday, it might be time. "She hasn't come to you two yet, has she?"
"Why would she?" Lizzie asked.
'Time to bit the bullet, but I'll do it slowly.' "Don't get mad, Lizzie, but the reason I got to your room after mom did Friday was because I went to see Ethan."
"WHAT?!? Matt, please tell me you didn't do anything."
"I didn't, because there was no need. Lizzie, you've figured from what Miranda and I said to you that we wanted to get you and Gordo together, right?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"
Both his parents, and Miranda, knew the story. The all watched intently, wondering how this would play out. "It has to do with this because of something I've been keeping from you. There was a late third conspirator in the plan. Somebody who already knew what he was going to do, and hoped to make some good come out of it. Ethan."
Lizzie was visibly shaking. "What does that mean EXACTLY?"
"It means that, in our talk Thursday morning, he reviled that he loved Kate, he'd been scared of his feelings, and ran from her. He said listening to me talk about Miranda and I made him realize that he couldn't waste time hiding from his feeling. Personally, I think his going blind had more to do with it. Whatever did it, he was resolved on breaking up with you and trying to reconcile with Kate. I'll admit, when he first started talking, I wanted to deck him for you, but Miranda held me back until he finished. In the end, we agreed that, since he was going to break up with you, we should at least try to use it to help you go to the person you really love. Gordo. It was Ethan's idea for me to deck him."
"You set me up?!?"
"You have no idea what seeing you get hurt did to me. I've only had more contempt for myself once, and that was Monday." He didn't need to say any more to see that register with her. "But, Lizzie, we now know that it helped cause two good things. First, you're with Gordo, where you've belonged all along."
"I don't know rather I should hit you two or hug you! But I guess you," she nodded toward her brother, "have been beating yourself up pretty good about it. Just promise me you'll never do that to me again."
"Deal." He couldn't believe he was getting off this lightly.
She read her brothers relief. "I'm still upset with you, both of you. But I understand your reasons, so I can forgive you."
"It seems that Matt isn't the only one growing up." Sam remarked. Lizzie blushed. "I'll go make sure the room is ready." With that, he stood and left the room.
"Now, you said two things. What's the second?"
"The second will surprise you. Kate seems to be trying to be nice again." Both girls looked at him as if he were crazy. "I'm not crazy, at least not about that. When I was visiting Ethan Friday, Kate was there. I asked them if that meant they were okay. At first, she was going to snap at me the way you've described she does. But then, after a reminder from Ethan, she caught herself, apologized, and asked me to forgive her."
"She did what?!?" Miranda couldn't believe it. "Matt, are you sure this was Kate you met?"
Lizzie seemed to get lost in thought. "Gordo mentioned that they had visited him together. He was embarrassed by something they did or said, and won't talk about that. But he did say he heard Kate complain about how nobody told her being nice to us would be uncomfortable."
"Yep," Miranda cut in, "that's Kate."
"Miranda, love, just based on what I've overheard from you guys, I know you have plenty of reason to dislike her." He turned to Lizzie. "Both of you do. But I get the feeling she may be trying to change."
"Maybe you girls could give her another chance." They looked at Jo questioningly. "Not necessarily to be her friends again, but at least to end the hostility. It does sound like she's going to try to change."
"I've had the feeling more than once that the old Kate was still there. Maybe being with Ethan will finally bring that out." Lizzie turned to her friend. "I'll understand if you don't want to, but I'm willing to try. What could it hurt?"
"And what do you think she'll do when she learns about Matt and me?"
"She already knows." Miranda turned her head to him, stunned. "Ethan had already told her by the time I spoke to them. When I learned that, I, uh, questioned her about what she was going to do with the information. She admitted that she would have harassed you BEFORE ETHAN. But I guess they had a long talk after she showed up the day before, and she said she had a lot to think about. I honestly don't think she'll be a problem."
"You QUESTIONED her? Matt, what did you do?"
"Nothing, honest!" She was staring a hole in him. "I might have fallen into an icy tone, but really, I didn't do or say anything threatening."
She shook her head. "Hon, your 'icy tone' is threat enough. Still, for her to say that." She turned to Lizzie. "Do you really think that Ice Queen can thaw?"
"Stranger things have happened."
Matt and Miranda looked at each other, remembered their day in the park, and said together "Tell us about it!"
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Will this be other peaceful night? Will the girls reconcile with Kate? Will Melina be off grounding before graduation? That, and more, still to come. Stay tuned.