No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
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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.
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SPECIAL NOTICE AT END OF CHAPTER
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Chapter 35
Fundamental Things
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The night passed relatively well. Matt's nightmare did the same change as the night before, including landing on his 'Sir Matthew' fantasy. The difference was for Miranda, who know what to expect, and Sam, who had been warned about it. Even then, watching his son go from fitful to completely still was unnerving.
"Miranda," he was looking on from the cot as she stroked his hair, "I know what you said, but I'd still feel better if you wake him."
"Okay." She began to shake him, calling in a normal voice. "Matt. Wake up, Matt." At first, he barely stirred. She looked at Sam. "I really don't want to resort to kissing him if he isn't in trouble. It doesn't feel right to do that when he doesn't know, and doesn't need it."
Sam chuckled at the situation. "Miranda, if there had been any doubts left about your love for my son, you just answered them" She blushed. "I never thought I'd be saying this for him, but, while the choice is still your's, there's no harm in kissing him while he sleeps. I sometimes kiss Jo when she falls asleep before me, and I know she does the same with me. You love him and care for him, as he does you. I'm sure he understands."
"What you say makes sense, but, somehow, I think it will lose some meaning, like this."
"Trust a veteran at it. If love's in it, a kiss will always be special."
"If I didn't know any better," came a voice from the floor, "I'd think you were hitting on my lady." They both look at Matt's now open eyes in surprise. "You both talk too loud around sleeping people."
"It was not too loud because we were trying to wake you." Miranda replied in mock rebuke.
Sam shook his head. "Sometimes when I listen to you two, I could swear you were already married."
Matt couldn't resist the opening. "Don't let me dissuade you. You can go back to your wife, and I'll stay with mine."
"Not a chance." Sam said with a chuckle. Then add something just to see how they'd react. "Yet."
He found their looks of perplexed hopefulness interesting.
~~
Miranda's nightmare was much the same as the night before, but she was also just as easily released from it. And Sam was just as insistent as Jo that they didn't need to cuddle the rest of the night.
~~~~~~~~
After yesterday's fiasco, Lizzie, who woke first again, waited for breakfast. Jo, who was next up, decided to try (again) to teach Lizzie how to cook. Matt and Miranda came in time to watch Lizzie try to fry an egg. The result was . . . interesting, but nobody was brave enough to try it. Not even Lizzie.
~~~~~~~~
While waiting in the living room for Mrs. Sanchez to come get Miranda, the three youngsters started talking about Gordo's idea for the four of them to talk about how to handle their developing romances without straining the trio's friendship. "We never did settle on a location for the meeting." Lizzie reminded them. "When Gordo panicked, we never got back on the subject."
Suddenly, Miranda had an idea. "Hey, why not do it at my place. You and Gordo haven't visited since the crash, and I know Lily would be over the moon to see all of you there. Especially since Matt told her about you and Gordo."
Lizzie blushed. "Why did you do that, Matt? Now I going to have to face all kinds of question from her."
"If we're there for very long, I might face a stronger inquisition than that. But I think this is worth it."
Miranda looked at him questioningly. "You don't think dad's going to grill you again, do you? I thought you already gave him more than he bargained for." She still remembered the look on her father's face after his first talk with Matt.
"Maybe. When Ethan's call came, we both said things that might need explaining. We didn't at the time because Lily was with us, but if we end up alone sometime today . . . I don't know if he will or not."
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, from what Mom tells me, she's made it very clear he's not to chase you away." She started giggling. "I think the phase 'a few months on the couch' was used."
They all had a laugh at that. "Well," Lizzie said once they calmed some, "I don't mind going there. I'll call Gordo, but I'm sure he'll like the idea. But we should ask your mom when she gets here first."
"And we need permission too, sis." Matt reminded her. Raising his voice, but careful not to shout, he called out. "MOM, CAN YOU COME HERE A MINUTE, OR SHOULD I COME TO YOU?"
"I JUST FINISHED IN HERE," came the voice from the kitchen, "I'LL BE RIGHT THERE." A minute later, she was there. "What's up?"
"Gordo wanted to have all of us get together for a long talk," Lizzie answered her, "about helping the friendship not drift apart because of the romances, and we thought we could have it at Miranda's. That is, if you'll let us go today."
"I think that's a great idea." She turned to Miranda. "Have you asked your parents yet?"
"We just figured out the location, so we were going to ask mom when she got here. We haven't even had time to call Gordo yet."
"If it's fine with her, you can go. But it will have to be after our shopping trip."
"I haven't been shopping for a while, even just to window shop." Lizzie remarked. "Can I come along?"
"Er, well," Matt was in a bind, and he knew it. If he said no, both Lizzie and Miranda would suspect something. If he said yes, she'd see it first hand.
Jo made the choice for him. "Alright, Lizzie. But you're going to have to agree not to tell anyone, not Miranda, not even Gordo, where we go. Agreed?"
The girls looked at each other. "Did you say anything?" they asked in unison.
"Obviously not," Matt answered for them, "if you both have to ask." He thought he knew what that was about, but didn't want to give away he knew. "I don't know want it is, and I won't ask. But please, don't ask me what I'm doing, okay?"
"Okay, I agree to keep whatever it is a secret." Lizzie said.
"I guess we're both keeping secrets already." Miranda mused. "Even after we promised not to."
"Miranda," Jo said, "take it from an experienced married woman. You'll both have things you want to keep from each other for a short time. But as long as you follow these guidelines, it's okay. You should listen to this too, Matt. First, always tell the secret to somebody you trust, and if they tell you that you should tell the other, give serious thought to doing it. Second, if it's something that could hurt more if it's found out as a secret, find a way to confess. Trust me, a secret that would hurt if discovered to be a secret will inevitably be discovered. And third, each of you should trust the other's judgement. If something's being kept from you, realize that it would only be done for a very good reason."
"I agree with that." They all jumped, not having heard Mrs. Sanchez come in. "You didn't answer my knock, but the door was unlocked. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's okay."
"You're right, Mrs. McGuire. Okay, Matt, I won't ask what you're up to. I know I can trust you."
"Thank you." Matt said. "Trust me on this, when the time is right, you'll like this."
"We have something to ask you, Mrs. Sanchez." Lizzie remembered. She explained about the meeting.
"Of course you can come over. You're always welcome, all of you."
"Thanks. I'll call Gordo."
He liked the idea, and his parents approved of him going to Miranda's for this, but they reminded Lizzie that he was only just back home, and he should have some time at home to rest. She was, of course, welcome to visit him.
~~~~~~~~
While they were on their way, Matt decided to try to stop Lizzie from snooping by telling her what he hoped would be just enough. "Lizzie, when we get there, you're going to see us enter the jewelry store." Her eyes widened. "It's not an engagement ring. It is, however, for Miranda. Do you think you could steer clear of there until we're done?"
"Ooooooh, can't I see it, pleeeeease?"
"No. I don't want anybody who doesn't have to to see it, or even know what it is, before Miranda does. You can understand that, can't you?"
Lizzie gave a half smile. "Before all this started, I never thought you could be so romantic. Okay, I'll stay out of it. But how can you afford anything there? That store isn't exactly K-Mart cheap."
"What we're doing shouldn't be all that much, and we're paying for it." Jo answered.
Lizzie's eyes widened. "But how? With all the doctor bills and missed work, how can you guys afford to?"
Jo smiled, realizing that none of them had been told. "The owner of the delivery service whose van hit you is a rare breed, a business man who accepts responsibility for things done under his watch. He gave us generous settlement before you were awake, Lizzie. All hospital bills paid, Miranda's car replaced, plus a nice amount extra. Maybe not what we could have gotten in court, but he was so apologetic, none of us could do that."
"Wow." Lizzie and Matt both said. It was Lizzie who first gave in to the curiosity. "Um, can I ask, how much extra?"
"Well, you don't really need to know exactly how much, but enough that all the families will be fine after this is over." She said that so calmly, Lizzie couldn't feel offended by it. "In fact, Lizzie, we can easily afford to let you get something nice for Gordo when Matt's done."
Matt liked that idea. "Yeah, sis. I'll even stay out of your way while you do that."
Lizzie hadn't thought about anything like that. Gordo isn't one given to wearing jewelry. In fact, he was always tough for her to get gifts for. However, something Matt had said before came to her, and she knew, roughly, what she wanted to get him. "You don't have to do that, Matt. I might need your help finding it."
"Huh?"
"You'll see."
~~~~~~~~
When Matt was done and Lizzie came in, she told him what she had in mind. When he stopped snickering, he admitted that he liked the idea. Unfortunately, the store didn't have anything that would do, so they had to order.
~~~~~~~~
It was 12:30 when they got to Miranda's. Gordo was already there, being interrogated by Lily. The first question they heard made Lizzie blush. "When you marry Lizzie?"
Gordo must have been there long enough to get used to her questions, because he didn't miss a beat. "I don't know yet, but I expect it will be before Matt marries Miranda."
Lily's reply made Matt blush. "Wanna bet?"
They came into the room just after she said that, and found that Gordo and Lily were by themselves. "Lily," Matt said, "aren't you a little young to be make bets?" The other two thought it was cute, until he added, "it's not nice to take advantage of Gordo like that."
Lizzie's breath caught in her throat, and Gordo looked stunned. He did manage to speak, remembering the question Lizzie couldn't answer. "Tell me you're not serious. Have you already proposed?"
As soon as he started talking, they knew he was telling the complete truth about it. "Not yet. In my head, I know I shouldn't until I have a way to support us, but every time I see her, I want to fall to one knee right there. I honestly don't know if I'm strong enough to wait."
While Lily squealed in delight, they were both amazed. They both knew he was serious about her, he had expressed his willingness to marry before. But something in his voice when he said that beat all expectation. "I know the feeling, Matt. But I also know that some things are worth the wait. I know that Lizzie and I will be together forever, so I can wait until we're ready."
"Then you're a stronger man than me. There are lots of things we want to wait for, but I don't know if we can."
Gordo's eyes bulged. But before he could say anything, Miranda's voice came though the door, followed quickly by her. "Lily, I hope you've been behaving yourself."
Before she could pout, Gordo answered. "She's been great. She has a way of making people open up."
"Good. Now, Lily, may friends and I need to talk in private. Remember what we talked about when I came home this morning?" Lily nodded. "This is that talk. But when we're done, we can do whatever you want."
"And I'm in no hurry to go home." Matt added. "Would you like me to stay and play?"
"Could you?" She asked. "For someone old, you're fun." They all got a chuckle out of that.
~~~~
When they sat down around the backyard table, Matt felt uncomfortable, remembering the last time he was out here. Miranda saw his discomfort. "I don't think this is going to be anything like your talk with dad, darling. Relax."
"You make it sound so easy. This is very important for you, and I don't want to mess up."
"Nice to be noticed." Lizzie chimed in.
Before either could reply, Gordo did. "It's only natural that he thinks of her first, the same as I do you."
"That's what this meeting's about," Miranda pointed out, "how to keep our romances from hurting our friendship."
"I know it's different, but when you started getting friendly with Larry, and we with Parker, it didn't hurt our friendship, did it?" Lizzie asked.
"No, but you're right about it being different." Gordo answered. "The only romance in the group were the two newcomers. Nothing changed with the three of us, except that we spent a little less time as just the three of us. While now, you and I are in love, and know it. That means we'll be spending time alone as a couple. And I know Miranda and Matt will want to spend a lot of time together."
Miranda cut in. "But we've all dated before, and while we each spent less time with the other two when we were, there were only a couple of times when it caused any problems, and that was back when we all first started dating. We've figured out how to stay friends though all that. What would be so different here?"
"I can answer that in three words," Matt said dryly, "Lanny and Melina." Miranda understood. Lizzie and Gordo thought they knew, but didn't. That fact occurred to Matt when he saw the looks on their faces, so he explained while trying not to tell them everything. "You both know how Melina reacted to the news about Miranda and me, but there's other part to it you don't know. They've become . . . involved. With each other. And it hasn't been easy."
"But I haven't taken a swing at Lizzie. Nor would I." She turned to her friend when she realized how that could be taken. "No offense, Gordo, but I've never had those kind of feeling for you."
Gordo nodded. "That's okay. I wasn't really up to another confession so soon."
"Wait a minute. Miranda may be on to something." Lizzie interjected. "Think about it. There are no hidden feeling here. If anything, all of us care for each others as family. Miranda's close enough to me to be my sister, and I've heard you say more than once that you think of Matt as a little brother."
"And I care for Miranda like a sister" Gordo added. "But that doesn't change the fact that we need to be careful."
"The fact that you two know about each other changes things some, but it's not totally new." Miranda surprised them with that. "I've told you before, I knew about your feelings for each other a long time ago. I had to face the fact that you two had a special connection at a level that didn't include me." She saw that they were about to protest, and cut them off. "Unless you're about to say you don't love each other, don't deny it." She saw the hurt expressions on their faces. "All I'm saying is that I've already dealt with this. I think we'll be okay, so long as we don't start ignoring each other, and I can't see that happening."
Matt looked at her in loving amazement. "How did I get somebody as wise as she is beautiful?" It was quickly becoming one of those moments. Their eyes locked. They started to lean in.
They were snapped out of it by Gordo. "Either one of you needs to stand up and go to the other, or you're both going to fall out of your chairs."
Laughing at the interesting thought they both had, they leaned back in their chairs. "Sorry. Got a little caught up there." Miranda responded first.
"That's part of this, though." Gordo reminded her. "We all need to be more accepting of displays of affection, but we also need to be more careful of how often we do that in front of each other."
"But that all part of what I think Miranda was talking about." Lizzie realized. "We will need to be thoughtful of each other, but after hearing what Miranda just admitted to, it may not be as difficult as we were afraid of."
"Oh, it will be difficult." Miranda corrected. "But I think we can do it."
"I'll do what I can." Matt offered.
"We'll still have to figure out exactly how we're going to do this, but I like the sound of this. If you all think we can do this, than how can I disagree?" Gordo said that with a half smile.
"You don't." Lizzie answered, beaming.
"Here I was expecting a longer meeting." Miranda said with mock gruffness.
"There is something else." Matt said. "While I've been talking to Mr. Gordon and my parents about some things, I need someone closer to my own age to confide in sometimes. My relationship with Lanny is still shaky, and Reggie's too much of a playboy to understand this very well."
Gordo understood what he was driving at. "I'd be willing, but would you be able to listen to me in the same way?" He asked. "I'd go to Larry, but he has his own problems right now. And I still don't have that much regard for Ethan. The problem, of course, is that it would involve me and Lizzie."
Lizzie chose to ignore the Ethan remark. "It won't be easy to hear. It's tough for me to talk with Miranda about you. I get though it, most of the time, but it's still uncomfortable."
Matt winced. "I know. If you can keep from getting too detailed, I think I can handle it."
"I'll try. If it gets too close, let me know." He wasn't sure how to pose his next question, but he needed to ask. "There is something I want to ask you two about." Matt and Miranda looked at him. "Between some of the things you two have said, as well as some questions Lizzie wouldn't answer, I'm beginning to worry about you two."
"Worry how?" Matt asked in a guarded tone.
"About how fast you're moving." He saw them both start to withdraw. "Please hear me out." When he knew he had their attention, he continued. "I'm not going to preach, but I'm worried about my friends. Matt, you said something in the living room that has me wondering. Just how far . . ."
"Do NOT finish that question." Miranda snapped at him. He was a little surprised that she would do that before Matt did.
"It's okay." Matt's voice was calm, almost unnaturally so. "I understand why he feels he needs to do this."
"It's none of his business." Miranda replied.
"Most of the time, I'd agree. But you heard him before, he sees you as a sister. I was going to talk to dad about us having THE TALK with him about Lizzie, so I can relate." He saw the way she was looking at him. "I'm not saying we tell him everything we talk about, or the secrets we keep for others. But I'm willing to answer him, TO A POINT, today."
"I still don't like this," she grumbled, "but I guess I can follow your lead."
He accepted her answer silently, then refocused on Gordo. "To answer your question, we've only done as far as french kissing. As for your worries, you haven't been in on some of the discussions that have happened lately, so I'll tell you as much as I can without breaking confidences, or telling you what we don't tell anyone. You already know the basic events of Monday, but I'll start with a more detailed version." He immediately launched into the tale, not leaving out his opinion of himself that day. Indeed, the only things Matt left out were he's overhearing Miranda and Lizzie that night, what happened in the park, and some of he and Miranda's private words. Also, because Miranda was listening, he left out the promise rings and his short-lived thoughts of killing himself.
What was left was still enough to shock Gordo, who had his jaw hanging and eyes widened almost from the start until the very end. Upon reaching that morning, Matt summarized. "As you can see, a lot has happened to us. As for your worries about us having sex, what it comes to for us is this. We've agreed that we want to wait, both to make love and to get married. But we also realize that we might not be able to resist the temptations that long. So, we figured out a way to help make sure that, if we do give in, it will be almost impossible for her to get pregnant."
Before Gordo could ask, Miranda picked up the narrative. "I'm on birth control. The new patch kind."
"I've heard of it, on PBS." Gordo told them. He was still recovering from what he had just heard. It was only the second time he had heard Matt talk like this. "And I thought I had a shock when Larry wandered in."
"I heard about that, from Lizzie, but it had to be tough to be there through." Miranda said.
This give Gordo enough time to collect himself. "It was, but it's nothing to what you've gone though." He turned back to Matt. "When Lizzie told me how much you've changed, I thought she was exaggerating. I guess not, at least not much."
"Thanks." Matt said wryly.
"Sorry, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll be honest with you, Matt. Before the crash, I thought you were going to be stuck in a Peter Pan childhood, never truly growing up. But now, I listen to you, and I have to wonder if maybe you're closer to adult than I am."
"That's ridiculous, man."
"Is it? Think about this, Matt. When Lizzie and I admitted our feelings for each other, we talked about a lot of things, but we didn't really think about the physical part of it. Then Larry came to my room. When I saw the way he and Parker were, I was determined not to let Lizzie or myself hurt like that. So I told Lizzie I wanted to wait until our wedding night. But I never considered the possibility that, at some point, I might not be able to resist. I was so sure of myself, the thought of my willpower failing barely crossed my mind, even as I worried about you two."
"You would have thought of it eventually."
"Maybe. The point is, you already did."
Lizzie and Miranda had both heard enough. Lizzie spoke just before Miranda did. "Will you two listen to yourselves? I could swear you're having a 'who's less mature' contest."
"The truth is," Miranda took over, "that you're both mature for your ages. Gordo, the only reason Matt's is noticed and your's isn't is because we've all become used to you. That doesn't make you less mature than Matt."
"She right." Lizzie replied. "Yes, you let one thing TEMPORARILY slip your mind. That doesn't mean you're not mature, it means you're human, like the rest of us."
"I guess."
"I know."
After they looked at each other in THAT way for a moment, Gordo asked her "And when were you going to tell me you were thinking about birth control?" Matt hadn't been told that it had been approved for Lizzie, so had only said enough to tell Gordo that it was being considered.
Miranda, however, forgot that that detail wasn't in Matt's recap, and spoke without realizing what she was giving away. "Her mom had her promise not to tell you she was going on it. I'm sure you can understand the reasoning. Mom wanted me to make that promise about Matt, but I couldn't, and put my foot down. Given Matt's state of mind then, she saw my side of it, and agreed I could tell him."
"You ARE going on it? It's already been decided?!?"
"Please don't be mad." Lizzie was in her small, pleading voice. "I would have told you if something happened, but mom insisted I shouldn't tell you otherwise. I didn't like it, but I understood why."
For a moment, none of them knew how he would react. Then, his face softened. "I guess you're right about my maturity. I should be mad, or hurt, or both. But, I understand why this was kept a secret. It's a weight off my mind, though, to know that." He got a sly grin. "I'm tempted not to tell your mother that I know, but I think we should."
Lizzie gave him a look. "Why?"
He knew that worried tone. "Don't worry. I've always known her to be fair. If we tell her how I know, I'm sure she'll understand. And she'll know that we can talk about this together. Like adults."
"And you were saying you weren't mature." Miranda said playfully.
That comment released much of the built-up tension, and they all laughed a bit more than the remark itself deserved. When they settled, Gordo spoke first. "Sorry about prying, but I worry about you two. I guess all Matt's talk about not wasting time had me jump to conclusions."
"Well, guess they weren't unreasonable conclusions." Miranda admitted. "Honestly, we've both been tempted. But please, trust us to know when that choice is right for us."
"Okay. But will you two promise that you'll be careful."
"Yes." Miranda answered.
"I could give you the full promise I've made myself, but the hang-jaw look doesn't suit you." Matt said. "The short answer is yes." After a brief pause, he went on. "But I want the same promise from you. Be careful with my sister."
"Will both of you promise me you'll be careful?" Miranda added.
"Yes, I'll be careful with her."
"I love him too much to do otherwise." Lizzie said, mimicking Miranda's words to her on Monday.
~~~~~~~~
They talked for another half-hour before returning inside.
Lily was thrilled to find out they all would play with her for a while, even if Lizzie and Gordo's casts limited some of the choices. By the time Gordo, Lizzie, and Matt were picked up to go home for dinner, they were all tired, but happy.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: What did Lizzie get for Gordo? How will the McGuire parents react when the learn Gordo knows about Lizzie going on birth control? How will Larry and Parker react when Miranda remembers to talk to them? Will Melina need a uniform, or maternity clothes? Those answers, and more, still to come.
SPECIAL NOTICE:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/realxenocidewritings
After 35 chapters and more than 100,000 words, I have decided to start a yahoo group for this story, along with anything else I write. I'll still be updating here at fanfiction.net, so don't think I'm abandoning this site. I'm doing this for a number of reasons.
First, under the heading of 'never put all your eggs in one basket', I think that it's a good idea for a writer on the net to have more than one outlet for his or her material. As all of the AOL members can attest to, ff.net sometimes has problems. By doing this, it makes it possible for me to publish, and you to read, my work when ff.net is having a bad hour/day/week.
Second, by using Yahoo!'s SPECIAL NOTICE feature, I can insure that all of the group's members will know when a new chapter is up, without having to go to ff.net. FF.net will do this too, as part of it's paid memberships. However, as a long time opponent of heavy-handed forms of censorship, I cannot give my money to ff.net
Third, I thought it would be interesting to give my readers a chance to interact with one another on something easier and more interactive than the review board.
It's open membership, so just go there, sign in, click Join This Group, follow the instructions, and you're in. Details on the group's settings and such will be automatically sent to you by e-mail when you join.
See you there!
by TheRealXenocide
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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.
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SPECIAL NOTICE AT END OF CHAPTER
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Chapter 35
Fundamental Things
`
The night passed relatively well. Matt's nightmare did the same change as the night before, including landing on his 'Sir Matthew' fantasy. The difference was for Miranda, who know what to expect, and Sam, who had been warned about it. Even then, watching his son go from fitful to completely still was unnerving.
"Miranda," he was looking on from the cot as she stroked his hair, "I know what you said, but I'd still feel better if you wake him."
"Okay." She began to shake him, calling in a normal voice. "Matt. Wake up, Matt." At first, he barely stirred. She looked at Sam. "I really don't want to resort to kissing him if he isn't in trouble. It doesn't feel right to do that when he doesn't know, and doesn't need it."
Sam chuckled at the situation. "Miranda, if there had been any doubts left about your love for my son, you just answered them" She blushed. "I never thought I'd be saying this for him, but, while the choice is still your's, there's no harm in kissing him while he sleeps. I sometimes kiss Jo when she falls asleep before me, and I know she does the same with me. You love him and care for him, as he does you. I'm sure he understands."
"What you say makes sense, but, somehow, I think it will lose some meaning, like this."
"Trust a veteran at it. If love's in it, a kiss will always be special."
"If I didn't know any better," came a voice from the floor, "I'd think you were hitting on my lady." They both look at Matt's now open eyes in surprise. "You both talk too loud around sleeping people."
"It was not too loud because we were trying to wake you." Miranda replied in mock rebuke.
Sam shook his head. "Sometimes when I listen to you two, I could swear you were already married."
Matt couldn't resist the opening. "Don't let me dissuade you. You can go back to your wife, and I'll stay with mine."
"Not a chance." Sam said with a chuckle. Then add something just to see how they'd react. "Yet."
He found their looks of perplexed hopefulness interesting.
~~
Miranda's nightmare was much the same as the night before, but she was also just as easily released from it. And Sam was just as insistent as Jo that they didn't need to cuddle the rest of the night.
~~~~~~~~
After yesterday's fiasco, Lizzie, who woke first again, waited for breakfast. Jo, who was next up, decided to try (again) to teach Lizzie how to cook. Matt and Miranda came in time to watch Lizzie try to fry an egg. The result was . . . interesting, but nobody was brave enough to try it. Not even Lizzie.
~~~~~~~~
While waiting in the living room for Mrs. Sanchez to come get Miranda, the three youngsters started talking about Gordo's idea for the four of them to talk about how to handle their developing romances without straining the trio's friendship. "We never did settle on a location for the meeting." Lizzie reminded them. "When Gordo panicked, we never got back on the subject."
Suddenly, Miranda had an idea. "Hey, why not do it at my place. You and Gordo haven't visited since the crash, and I know Lily would be over the moon to see all of you there. Especially since Matt told her about you and Gordo."
Lizzie blushed. "Why did you do that, Matt? Now I going to have to face all kinds of question from her."
"If we're there for very long, I might face a stronger inquisition than that. But I think this is worth it."
Miranda looked at him questioningly. "You don't think dad's going to grill you again, do you? I thought you already gave him more than he bargained for." She still remembered the look on her father's face after his first talk with Matt.
"Maybe. When Ethan's call came, we both said things that might need explaining. We didn't at the time because Lily was with us, but if we end up alone sometime today . . . I don't know if he will or not."
"I'm sure you'll be fine. Besides, from what Mom tells me, she's made it very clear he's not to chase you away." She started giggling. "I think the phase 'a few months on the couch' was used."
They all had a laugh at that. "Well," Lizzie said once they calmed some, "I don't mind going there. I'll call Gordo, but I'm sure he'll like the idea. But we should ask your mom when she gets here first."
"And we need permission too, sis." Matt reminded her. Raising his voice, but careful not to shout, he called out. "MOM, CAN YOU COME HERE A MINUTE, OR SHOULD I COME TO YOU?"
"I JUST FINISHED IN HERE," came the voice from the kitchen, "I'LL BE RIGHT THERE." A minute later, she was there. "What's up?"
"Gordo wanted to have all of us get together for a long talk," Lizzie answered her, "about helping the friendship not drift apart because of the romances, and we thought we could have it at Miranda's. That is, if you'll let us go today."
"I think that's a great idea." She turned to Miranda. "Have you asked your parents yet?"
"We just figured out the location, so we were going to ask mom when she got here. We haven't even had time to call Gordo yet."
"If it's fine with her, you can go. But it will have to be after our shopping trip."
"I haven't been shopping for a while, even just to window shop." Lizzie remarked. "Can I come along?"
"Er, well," Matt was in a bind, and he knew it. If he said no, both Lizzie and Miranda would suspect something. If he said yes, she'd see it first hand.
Jo made the choice for him. "Alright, Lizzie. But you're going to have to agree not to tell anyone, not Miranda, not even Gordo, where we go. Agreed?"
The girls looked at each other. "Did you say anything?" they asked in unison.
"Obviously not," Matt answered for them, "if you both have to ask." He thought he knew what that was about, but didn't want to give away he knew. "I don't know want it is, and I won't ask. But please, don't ask me what I'm doing, okay?"
"Okay, I agree to keep whatever it is a secret." Lizzie said.
"I guess we're both keeping secrets already." Miranda mused. "Even after we promised not to."
"Miranda," Jo said, "take it from an experienced married woman. You'll both have things you want to keep from each other for a short time. But as long as you follow these guidelines, it's okay. You should listen to this too, Matt. First, always tell the secret to somebody you trust, and if they tell you that you should tell the other, give serious thought to doing it. Second, if it's something that could hurt more if it's found out as a secret, find a way to confess. Trust me, a secret that would hurt if discovered to be a secret will inevitably be discovered. And third, each of you should trust the other's judgement. If something's being kept from you, realize that it would only be done for a very good reason."
"I agree with that." They all jumped, not having heard Mrs. Sanchez come in. "You didn't answer my knock, but the door was unlocked. I hope you don't mind."
"No, that's okay."
"You're right, Mrs. McGuire. Okay, Matt, I won't ask what you're up to. I know I can trust you."
"Thank you." Matt said. "Trust me on this, when the time is right, you'll like this."
"We have something to ask you, Mrs. Sanchez." Lizzie remembered. She explained about the meeting.
"Of course you can come over. You're always welcome, all of you."
"Thanks. I'll call Gordo."
He liked the idea, and his parents approved of him going to Miranda's for this, but they reminded Lizzie that he was only just back home, and he should have some time at home to rest. She was, of course, welcome to visit him.
~~~~~~~~
While they were on their way, Matt decided to try to stop Lizzie from snooping by telling her what he hoped would be just enough. "Lizzie, when we get there, you're going to see us enter the jewelry store." Her eyes widened. "It's not an engagement ring. It is, however, for Miranda. Do you think you could steer clear of there until we're done?"
"Ooooooh, can't I see it, pleeeeease?"
"No. I don't want anybody who doesn't have to to see it, or even know what it is, before Miranda does. You can understand that, can't you?"
Lizzie gave a half smile. "Before all this started, I never thought you could be so romantic. Okay, I'll stay out of it. But how can you afford anything there? That store isn't exactly K-Mart cheap."
"What we're doing shouldn't be all that much, and we're paying for it." Jo answered.
Lizzie's eyes widened. "But how? With all the doctor bills and missed work, how can you guys afford to?"
Jo smiled, realizing that none of them had been told. "The owner of the delivery service whose van hit you is a rare breed, a business man who accepts responsibility for things done under his watch. He gave us generous settlement before you were awake, Lizzie. All hospital bills paid, Miranda's car replaced, plus a nice amount extra. Maybe not what we could have gotten in court, but he was so apologetic, none of us could do that."
"Wow." Lizzie and Matt both said. It was Lizzie who first gave in to the curiosity. "Um, can I ask, how much extra?"
"Well, you don't really need to know exactly how much, but enough that all the families will be fine after this is over." She said that so calmly, Lizzie couldn't feel offended by it. "In fact, Lizzie, we can easily afford to let you get something nice for Gordo when Matt's done."
Matt liked that idea. "Yeah, sis. I'll even stay out of your way while you do that."
Lizzie hadn't thought about anything like that. Gordo isn't one given to wearing jewelry. In fact, he was always tough for her to get gifts for. However, something Matt had said before came to her, and she knew, roughly, what she wanted to get him. "You don't have to do that, Matt. I might need your help finding it."
"Huh?"
"You'll see."
~~~~~~~~
When Matt was done and Lizzie came in, she told him what she had in mind. When he stopped snickering, he admitted that he liked the idea. Unfortunately, the store didn't have anything that would do, so they had to order.
~~~~~~~~
It was 12:30 when they got to Miranda's. Gordo was already there, being interrogated by Lily. The first question they heard made Lizzie blush. "When you marry Lizzie?"
Gordo must have been there long enough to get used to her questions, because he didn't miss a beat. "I don't know yet, but I expect it will be before Matt marries Miranda."
Lily's reply made Matt blush. "Wanna bet?"
They came into the room just after she said that, and found that Gordo and Lily were by themselves. "Lily," Matt said, "aren't you a little young to be make bets?" The other two thought it was cute, until he added, "it's not nice to take advantage of Gordo like that."
Lizzie's breath caught in her throat, and Gordo looked stunned. He did manage to speak, remembering the question Lizzie couldn't answer. "Tell me you're not serious. Have you already proposed?"
As soon as he started talking, they knew he was telling the complete truth about it. "Not yet. In my head, I know I shouldn't until I have a way to support us, but every time I see her, I want to fall to one knee right there. I honestly don't know if I'm strong enough to wait."
While Lily squealed in delight, they were both amazed. They both knew he was serious about her, he had expressed his willingness to marry before. But something in his voice when he said that beat all expectation. "I know the feeling, Matt. But I also know that some things are worth the wait. I know that Lizzie and I will be together forever, so I can wait until we're ready."
"Then you're a stronger man than me. There are lots of things we want to wait for, but I don't know if we can."
Gordo's eyes bulged. But before he could say anything, Miranda's voice came though the door, followed quickly by her. "Lily, I hope you've been behaving yourself."
Before she could pout, Gordo answered. "She's been great. She has a way of making people open up."
"Good. Now, Lily, may friends and I need to talk in private. Remember what we talked about when I came home this morning?" Lily nodded. "This is that talk. But when we're done, we can do whatever you want."
"And I'm in no hurry to go home." Matt added. "Would you like me to stay and play?"
"Could you?" She asked. "For someone old, you're fun." They all got a chuckle out of that.
~~~~
When they sat down around the backyard table, Matt felt uncomfortable, remembering the last time he was out here. Miranda saw his discomfort. "I don't think this is going to be anything like your talk with dad, darling. Relax."
"You make it sound so easy. This is very important for you, and I don't want to mess up."
"Nice to be noticed." Lizzie chimed in.
Before either could reply, Gordo did. "It's only natural that he thinks of her first, the same as I do you."
"That's what this meeting's about," Miranda pointed out, "how to keep our romances from hurting our friendship."
"I know it's different, but when you started getting friendly with Larry, and we with Parker, it didn't hurt our friendship, did it?" Lizzie asked.
"No, but you're right about it being different." Gordo answered. "The only romance in the group were the two newcomers. Nothing changed with the three of us, except that we spent a little less time as just the three of us. While now, you and I are in love, and know it. That means we'll be spending time alone as a couple. And I know Miranda and Matt will want to spend a lot of time together."
Miranda cut in. "But we've all dated before, and while we each spent less time with the other two when we were, there were only a couple of times when it caused any problems, and that was back when we all first started dating. We've figured out how to stay friends though all that. What would be so different here?"
"I can answer that in three words," Matt said dryly, "Lanny and Melina." Miranda understood. Lizzie and Gordo thought they knew, but didn't. That fact occurred to Matt when he saw the looks on their faces, so he explained while trying not to tell them everything. "You both know how Melina reacted to the news about Miranda and me, but there's other part to it you don't know. They've become . . . involved. With each other. And it hasn't been easy."
"But I haven't taken a swing at Lizzie. Nor would I." She turned to her friend when she realized how that could be taken. "No offense, Gordo, but I've never had those kind of feeling for you."
Gordo nodded. "That's okay. I wasn't really up to another confession so soon."
"Wait a minute. Miranda may be on to something." Lizzie interjected. "Think about it. There are no hidden feeling here. If anything, all of us care for each others as family. Miranda's close enough to me to be my sister, and I've heard you say more than once that you think of Matt as a little brother."
"And I care for Miranda like a sister" Gordo added. "But that doesn't change the fact that we need to be careful."
"The fact that you two know about each other changes things some, but it's not totally new." Miranda surprised them with that. "I've told you before, I knew about your feelings for each other a long time ago. I had to face the fact that you two had a special connection at a level that didn't include me." She saw that they were about to protest, and cut them off. "Unless you're about to say you don't love each other, don't deny it." She saw the hurt expressions on their faces. "All I'm saying is that I've already dealt with this. I think we'll be okay, so long as we don't start ignoring each other, and I can't see that happening."
Matt looked at her in loving amazement. "How did I get somebody as wise as she is beautiful?" It was quickly becoming one of those moments. Their eyes locked. They started to lean in.
They were snapped out of it by Gordo. "Either one of you needs to stand up and go to the other, or you're both going to fall out of your chairs."
Laughing at the interesting thought they both had, they leaned back in their chairs. "Sorry. Got a little caught up there." Miranda responded first.
"That's part of this, though." Gordo reminded her. "We all need to be more accepting of displays of affection, but we also need to be more careful of how often we do that in front of each other."
"But that all part of what I think Miranda was talking about." Lizzie realized. "We will need to be thoughtful of each other, but after hearing what Miranda just admitted to, it may not be as difficult as we were afraid of."
"Oh, it will be difficult." Miranda corrected. "But I think we can do it."
"I'll do what I can." Matt offered.
"We'll still have to figure out exactly how we're going to do this, but I like the sound of this. If you all think we can do this, than how can I disagree?" Gordo said that with a half smile.
"You don't." Lizzie answered, beaming.
"Here I was expecting a longer meeting." Miranda said with mock gruffness.
"There is something else." Matt said. "While I've been talking to Mr. Gordon and my parents about some things, I need someone closer to my own age to confide in sometimes. My relationship with Lanny is still shaky, and Reggie's too much of a playboy to understand this very well."
Gordo understood what he was driving at. "I'd be willing, but would you be able to listen to me in the same way?" He asked. "I'd go to Larry, but he has his own problems right now. And I still don't have that much regard for Ethan. The problem, of course, is that it would involve me and Lizzie."
Lizzie chose to ignore the Ethan remark. "It won't be easy to hear. It's tough for me to talk with Miranda about you. I get though it, most of the time, but it's still uncomfortable."
Matt winced. "I know. If you can keep from getting too detailed, I think I can handle it."
"I'll try. If it gets too close, let me know." He wasn't sure how to pose his next question, but he needed to ask. "There is something I want to ask you two about." Matt and Miranda looked at him. "Between some of the things you two have said, as well as some questions Lizzie wouldn't answer, I'm beginning to worry about you two."
"Worry how?" Matt asked in a guarded tone.
"About how fast you're moving." He saw them both start to withdraw. "Please hear me out." When he knew he had their attention, he continued. "I'm not going to preach, but I'm worried about my friends. Matt, you said something in the living room that has me wondering. Just how far . . ."
"Do NOT finish that question." Miranda snapped at him. He was a little surprised that she would do that before Matt did.
"It's okay." Matt's voice was calm, almost unnaturally so. "I understand why he feels he needs to do this."
"It's none of his business." Miranda replied.
"Most of the time, I'd agree. But you heard him before, he sees you as a sister. I was going to talk to dad about us having THE TALK with him about Lizzie, so I can relate." He saw the way she was looking at him. "I'm not saying we tell him everything we talk about, or the secrets we keep for others. But I'm willing to answer him, TO A POINT, today."
"I still don't like this," she grumbled, "but I guess I can follow your lead."
He accepted her answer silently, then refocused on Gordo. "To answer your question, we've only done as far as french kissing. As for your worries, you haven't been in on some of the discussions that have happened lately, so I'll tell you as much as I can without breaking confidences, or telling you what we don't tell anyone. You already know the basic events of Monday, but I'll start with a more detailed version." He immediately launched into the tale, not leaving out his opinion of himself that day. Indeed, the only things Matt left out were he's overhearing Miranda and Lizzie that night, what happened in the park, and some of he and Miranda's private words. Also, because Miranda was listening, he left out the promise rings and his short-lived thoughts of killing himself.
What was left was still enough to shock Gordo, who had his jaw hanging and eyes widened almost from the start until the very end. Upon reaching that morning, Matt summarized. "As you can see, a lot has happened to us. As for your worries about us having sex, what it comes to for us is this. We've agreed that we want to wait, both to make love and to get married. But we also realize that we might not be able to resist the temptations that long. So, we figured out a way to help make sure that, if we do give in, it will be almost impossible for her to get pregnant."
Before Gordo could ask, Miranda picked up the narrative. "I'm on birth control. The new patch kind."
"I've heard of it, on PBS." Gordo told them. He was still recovering from what he had just heard. It was only the second time he had heard Matt talk like this. "And I thought I had a shock when Larry wandered in."
"I heard about that, from Lizzie, but it had to be tough to be there through." Miranda said.
This give Gordo enough time to collect himself. "It was, but it's nothing to what you've gone though." He turned back to Matt. "When Lizzie told me how much you've changed, I thought she was exaggerating. I guess not, at least not much."
"Thanks." Matt said wryly.
"Sorry, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll be honest with you, Matt. Before the crash, I thought you were going to be stuck in a Peter Pan childhood, never truly growing up. But now, I listen to you, and I have to wonder if maybe you're closer to adult than I am."
"That's ridiculous, man."
"Is it? Think about this, Matt. When Lizzie and I admitted our feelings for each other, we talked about a lot of things, but we didn't really think about the physical part of it. Then Larry came to my room. When I saw the way he and Parker were, I was determined not to let Lizzie or myself hurt like that. So I told Lizzie I wanted to wait until our wedding night. But I never considered the possibility that, at some point, I might not be able to resist. I was so sure of myself, the thought of my willpower failing barely crossed my mind, even as I worried about you two."
"You would have thought of it eventually."
"Maybe. The point is, you already did."
Lizzie and Miranda had both heard enough. Lizzie spoke just before Miranda did. "Will you two listen to yourselves? I could swear you're having a 'who's less mature' contest."
"The truth is," Miranda took over, "that you're both mature for your ages. Gordo, the only reason Matt's is noticed and your's isn't is because we've all become used to you. That doesn't make you less mature than Matt."
"She right." Lizzie replied. "Yes, you let one thing TEMPORARILY slip your mind. That doesn't mean you're not mature, it means you're human, like the rest of us."
"I guess."
"I know."
After they looked at each other in THAT way for a moment, Gordo asked her "And when were you going to tell me you were thinking about birth control?" Matt hadn't been told that it had been approved for Lizzie, so had only said enough to tell Gordo that it was being considered.
Miranda, however, forgot that that detail wasn't in Matt's recap, and spoke without realizing what she was giving away. "Her mom had her promise not to tell you she was going on it. I'm sure you can understand the reasoning. Mom wanted me to make that promise about Matt, but I couldn't, and put my foot down. Given Matt's state of mind then, she saw my side of it, and agreed I could tell him."
"You ARE going on it? It's already been decided?!?"
"Please don't be mad." Lizzie was in her small, pleading voice. "I would have told you if something happened, but mom insisted I shouldn't tell you otherwise. I didn't like it, but I understood why."
For a moment, none of them knew how he would react. Then, his face softened. "I guess you're right about my maturity. I should be mad, or hurt, or both. But, I understand why this was kept a secret. It's a weight off my mind, though, to know that." He got a sly grin. "I'm tempted not to tell your mother that I know, but I think we should."
Lizzie gave him a look. "Why?"
He knew that worried tone. "Don't worry. I've always known her to be fair. If we tell her how I know, I'm sure she'll understand. And she'll know that we can talk about this together. Like adults."
"And you were saying you weren't mature." Miranda said playfully.
That comment released much of the built-up tension, and they all laughed a bit more than the remark itself deserved. When they settled, Gordo spoke first. "Sorry about prying, but I worry about you two. I guess all Matt's talk about not wasting time had me jump to conclusions."
"Well, guess they weren't unreasonable conclusions." Miranda admitted. "Honestly, we've both been tempted. But please, trust us to know when that choice is right for us."
"Okay. But will you two promise that you'll be careful."
"Yes." Miranda answered.
"I could give you the full promise I've made myself, but the hang-jaw look doesn't suit you." Matt said. "The short answer is yes." After a brief pause, he went on. "But I want the same promise from you. Be careful with my sister."
"Will both of you promise me you'll be careful?" Miranda added.
"Yes, I'll be careful with her."
"I love him too much to do otherwise." Lizzie said, mimicking Miranda's words to her on Monday.
~~~~~~~~
They talked for another half-hour before returning inside.
Lily was thrilled to find out they all would play with her for a while, even if Lizzie and Gordo's casts limited some of the choices. By the time Gordo, Lizzie, and Matt were picked up to go home for dinner, they were all tired, but happy.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: What did Lizzie get for Gordo? How will the McGuire parents react when the learn Gordo knows about Lizzie going on birth control? How will Larry and Parker react when Miranda remembers to talk to them? Will Melina need a uniform, or maternity clothes? Those answers, and more, still to come.
SPECIAL NOTICE:
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After 35 chapters and more than 100,000 words, I have decided to start a yahoo group for this story, along with anything else I write. I'll still be updating here at fanfiction.net, so don't think I'm abandoning this site. I'm doing this for a number of reasons.
First, under the heading of 'never put all your eggs in one basket', I think that it's a good idea for a writer on the net to have more than one outlet for his or her material. As all of the AOL members can attest to, ff.net sometimes has problems. By doing this, it makes it possible for me to publish, and you to read, my work when ff.net is having a bad hour/day/week.
Second, by using Yahoo!'s SPECIAL NOTICE feature, I can insure that all of the group's members will know when a new chapter is up, without having to go to ff.net. FF.net will do this too, as part of it's paid memberships. However, as a long time opponent of heavy-handed forms of censorship, I cannot give my money to ff.net
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