No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: It seems the last chapter shook up some readers. I can understand that, but if you've been with this story this far, I hope you've learned some things about me and my writing. One of these is that I almost never do anything just for the hell of it, and certainly nothing as major as the last scene of the last chapter. Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this done. This is version 5 of the confrontation between the two couples. It took most of the time since last chapter to get that scene to go where I wanted it to.
`
Chapter 55
Back to Basics
`
Gordo's maneuver when he kept Lizzie from screaming was effective despite the casts. It was not, however, as quiet as he'd hoped . . .
Sam heard a noise he couldn't identify, but it came from upstairs. As he reached the doorway of the living room, he heard voices. He decided to stay out of sight, and listen. He heard Lizzie's voice. She was whispering, so Sam couldn't hear her words, but he knew from her tone that she was upset.
Matt's reply told him a lot. It also disturbed him.
His instincts as a father told him to go and deal with it now. But he hesitated, and for good reason. Unbeknownst to the kids, Sam, Jo, Edward, and Daniella have been speaking with the Gordons professionally about the young couple. Without breaking any confidences, Mr. Gordon had explained to them that he had identified two types of triggers for the nightmares, and that these should be avoided of possible. One type were perceived threats for bodily harm to one or both of them, the other were perceived threats to the relationship. And while Lizzie walking in on them might spark that trigger, Sam figured that him storming up there like Hell's Avenger would guarantee a bad night.
But was he to do NOTHING? Thirteen was too damn young for oral sex.
And yet, he had learned something of the young man his son was becoming, and he knew that once Matt engaged the big head again, he'd be worried, for more than one reason. First, while they hadn't technically broken their side of their agreement, they had just reached the boundary. For this to happen so soon, how could they hope to go no farther for so long? That could also work on their relationship trigger. Second were Matt's own concerns about the changes in him. While he seemed to be dealing with it, there were moments when Sam could tell the questions were still there. He needed to talk to those two.
He also had to talk to Jo, and the Sanchezs. He saw two ways of dealing with this, both having virtues and risks, and there was no way he'd make this call alone.
~~~~~~~~
Fifteen minutes later, Matt and Miranda were fully clothed, and headed for Lizzie's room. Or rather, Miranda led Matt toward Lizzie's door. Neither WANTED to do this, but Miranda knew they had to talk this out with Lizzie if there was to be any peace between them. Matt knew this to, she was sure, but his hesitation about it was causing him to try to hold back. As a result, she was pretty much dragging him along.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? She's not going to be happy about how we separated."
Miranda groaned inwardly. "Ready or not, we have to talk to her BEFORE she goes to our folks."
"Yeah, I know. But that won't make this any easier."
On that, Miranda couldn't help but agree. She knew what Gordo and Lizzie would have assumed about why she and Matt needed ten minutes. But she needed to talk to Matt, and at that moment, letting them think that was the only thing she was able to come up with. She had hoped that Gordo, being a guy, would be understanding of the assumption. She expected to catch hell from Lizzie, but she hoped that Gordo could talk her down, at least enough to let them explain how Lizzie's timing was as . . . interesting as always.
Lizzie's door was closed, so Miranda knocked. Apparently, whoever closed it hadn't checked to see if it latched, because it creaked open some when Miranda's knuckles hit. They couldn't see them, but they could hear them. In any other situation, Miranda though, and this would be funny.
A sound that could only be Lizzie slapping some part of Gordo's body. "Ouch! Lizzie, what . . ."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?!?"
"I didn't think it was important. Besides, you're the one who wanted things above the belt."
"I didn't know not . . . finishing could be painful for you! Didn't you realize I'd have helped if you'd let me know?"
"Lizzie, trust me, I have years of experience in handling that issue." Another body slap sounded.
Miranda knocked harder. The door finished opening, and Miranda left her hand hanging in the air in a knocking position, as if to show them that she hadn't meant to open the door. "Hi."
~~~~
When Sam told Jo about what he overheard, he tried to do it in such a way that by the time he told her what Matt said, she'd be too worried about Matt's mental state to do anything rash. By the time he was done, however, he thought that maybe he'd done too good a job. His normally decisive wife was clearly at a loss, and he found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to calm her fears.
When she was finally calm enough to think, they agreed on calling the Sanchezs before doing anything.
~~~~
Lizzie looked embarrassed, and annoyed. The tension spiked quickly between the two girls' eyes.
"I guess the door didn't latch." Gordo quickly pointed out trying to delay the storm as long as possible. He hoped that he's explanation of why the other couple may have wanted to finish what they'd started would be enough to abate Lizzie anger, at least long enough to let them try to explain themselves. He gestured to the empty chair at Lizzie's computer desk.
Miranda followed Gordo's gesture, turning the chair to face them, and sat. After latching the door, Matt sat on his feet on front of her, a position and posture that let him leap to standing in an instant. A fact lost on no one.
Miranda looked both annoyed and grateful about it. "Lizzie, Gordo," she began, "we think you should know something." Lizzie looked like she had something to say to that, but after a glance at her brother's posture, she held it. "Matt said what he said because he was upset. The truth is, your timing was as good as always." Lizzie and Gordo both looked at her with questioning faces. "While we were . . . in position, you barged in on us before we actually started that."
It took a second for that to sink in, then Gordo reacted in a way none of them expected. He started laughing. Hard. It took him a few minutes to get to where he could talk again. "So, if she'd have come in just thirty seconds earlier, she would have seen . . ." Gordo fell into laughter again as both McGuires blushed beet red at the obvious conclusion to that sentence. "Good thing Miranda let her hair grow long."
Another slap from Lizzie. "It's not funny! Even if they didn't actually do it, it's obvious they were going to."
"Yeah." Matt answered, sounding both defensive and accusatory. "So what? If I heard you two in the hall right, you're talking about it."
"So what?!?" Before Lizzie could say something they'd all regret, Gordo covered her mouth.
The sudden move caused him to loss balance, and he fell into her with all his weight. This sent them falling into the bed, precariously close to the edge. Once they'd regained their balance, it looked like Lizzie was about to start again. "Lizzie, please!" Gordo cut in. "Look, I understand. Miranda's like a sister to me, remember? But all yelling can do is push them away from us. Is that what you want?"
"No, but."
"We're worried, too." Miranda told her. When she had Lizzie's attention, she continued. "We want to wait for our first time, for more reasons than you guys can know. But in a little over a month, we've gone, or would have gone, this far. What chance do we have of holding out for much longer?"
The obvious concern in her best friend's voice resinated with Lizzie. As only best friends can, she tried to let go of her outrage, and set herself to helping her friend. "Okay, guys, I get it. It's just . . . a shock to see my brother like that. I mean, Matt, how would you feel if you walked in . . ."
"PLEASE don't finish that." Matt interrupted, clearly horrified at the thought.
The four of them chuckled lightly at that. As they began talking, the tension in the room slowly fell away.
~~~~
The Sanchezs took the news a bit calmer than Sam had expected. Instead of erupting, Edward sounded resigned. Then Sam remembered that it had been the Sanchezs, not he and Jo, who had lived through the night that sparked the agreement they now had with their kids, in addition to an extra six hours of deep conversation with them the next day, compared to he and Jo's two hours. Daniella was as practical as expected, realizing quickly they needed to think before acting. After a half-hour in conversation, they had a plan.
~~~~~~~~
The four teens had been talking for about an hour when they heard a knock on the door. "Come in" Lizzie answered automatically.
When the door opened, they saw not only Sam and Jo, but Edward and Daniella as well. Matt and Miranda had looks on their faces to make 'deer in the headlights' seem joyful by comparison. While Gordo was concerned, Lizzie's heart fell, and she felt sick. She was sure that they'd heard them, and felt certain that it had been her outburst that had done it.
Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't what happened next. Jo walked to were Matt was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and enveloped him in an embrace. Edward followed her in, and did the same with Miranda. Lizzie and Gordo couldn't hear Edward, but they caught Jo's gentle "It'll be all right. We'll figure this out together."
~~~~~~~~
Lizzie and Gordo were sent downstairs with money to order something, while the parents stayed with Matt and Miranda. They had planned to handle this by having the men talk to Matt while the women spoke with Miranda.
However, the couple had other ideas, having collected themselves enough to think and talk straight. They explained what really did, and DIDN'T, happen, while trying to spare their parents any of the more graphic details. As she had with Lizzie and Gordo, it was Miranda who explained their worries. Only this time, there was no need to speak carefully, so she didn't.
Realizing that they weren't going to get them separated for a while, the parents listened. While they were startled at the frankness, the obvious fear that laced the story tempered their reactions. By the time Miranda was finished describing their worries, the parents at a loss for a way to help that wouldn't be hurtful.
It happened about a half-hour in. Up to that point, all that had really been established were two things. First, that all six were disappointed in what happened, and what almost happened. Second was the parents' constant reinforcement that, despite their disappointment, they weren't going to be foolish enough to try to force a separation.
It began innocently enough. Matt rubbed his temple and grumbled, almost to himself, "I could really use a laugh, but I doubt even Weird Al would work."
Miranda looked at him. "You still listen to that?"
He looked at her. "Of course. Didn't you know?"
Daniella heard all this, and an idea began to form. "You two don't really know each other, do you?" That earned her 'where have you been for the past month?' looks from the couple. "I know how fully connected you two are on the deep, emotional levels. But how much do you know about each other outside of that?"
They sat there a moment, processing what she'd said. Miranda spoke first. "She's right."
Matt had registered it at the same time Miranda had. "We've been so caught up in the emotions . . . " He looked at her. "I have no idea what CDs you own."
"I have no idea what TV shows you like." They both started snickering at the absurdity if it.
"I have an idea." Daniella told them once they'd calmed down. "Why don't you two put your energies into finding out those details about each other." Now everyone looked at her. "I know it means doing things out of the usual order of things, but they're already so connected on the deeper levels, do they really need to work on that? Yet they know so little about each other. If they are destined to spend the rest of their lives together, they should know the person they're going to be with, shouldn't they?"
Miranda looked at her mother with awe, wondering how she could have, at one time, considered her flighty.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Will Daniella's idea be what they needed? How will tonight go, and the drama of the day? That, and more, still to come.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
A/N: It seems the last chapter shook up some readers. I can understand that, but if you've been with this story this far, I hope you've learned some things about me and my writing. One of these is that I almost never do anything just for the hell of it, and certainly nothing as major as the last scene of the last chapter. Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to get this done. This is version 5 of the confrontation between the two couples. It took most of the time since last chapter to get that scene to go where I wanted it to.
`
Chapter 55
Back to Basics
`
Gordo's maneuver when he kept Lizzie from screaming was effective despite the casts. It was not, however, as quiet as he'd hoped . . .
Sam heard a noise he couldn't identify, but it came from upstairs. As he reached the doorway of the living room, he heard voices. He decided to stay out of sight, and listen. He heard Lizzie's voice. She was whispering, so Sam couldn't hear her words, but he knew from her tone that she was upset.
Matt's reply told him a lot. It also disturbed him.
His instincts as a father told him to go and deal with it now. But he hesitated, and for good reason. Unbeknownst to the kids, Sam, Jo, Edward, and Daniella have been speaking with the Gordons professionally about the young couple. Without breaking any confidences, Mr. Gordon had explained to them that he had identified two types of triggers for the nightmares, and that these should be avoided of possible. One type were perceived threats for bodily harm to one or both of them, the other were perceived threats to the relationship. And while Lizzie walking in on them might spark that trigger, Sam figured that him storming up there like Hell's Avenger would guarantee a bad night.
But was he to do NOTHING? Thirteen was too damn young for oral sex.
And yet, he had learned something of the young man his son was becoming, and he knew that once Matt engaged the big head again, he'd be worried, for more than one reason. First, while they hadn't technically broken their side of their agreement, they had just reached the boundary. For this to happen so soon, how could they hope to go no farther for so long? That could also work on their relationship trigger. Second were Matt's own concerns about the changes in him. While he seemed to be dealing with it, there were moments when Sam could tell the questions were still there. He needed to talk to those two.
He also had to talk to Jo, and the Sanchezs. He saw two ways of dealing with this, both having virtues and risks, and there was no way he'd make this call alone.
~~~~~~~~
Fifteen minutes later, Matt and Miranda were fully clothed, and headed for Lizzie's room. Or rather, Miranda led Matt toward Lizzie's door. Neither WANTED to do this, but Miranda knew they had to talk this out with Lizzie if there was to be any peace between them. Matt knew this to, she was sure, but his hesitation about it was causing him to try to hold back. As a result, she was pretty much dragging him along.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? She's not going to be happy about how we separated."
Miranda groaned inwardly. "Ready or not, we have to talk to her BEFORE she goes to our folks."
"Yeah, I know. But that won't make this any easier."
On that, Miranda couldn't help but agree. She knew what Gordo and Lizzie would have assumed about why she and Matt needed ten minutes. But she needed to talk to Matt, and at that moment, letting them think that was the only thing she was able to come up with. She had hoped that Gordo, being a guy, would be understanding of the assumption. She expected to catch hell from Lizzie, but she hoped that Gordo could talk her down, at least enough to let them explain how Lizzie's timing was as . . . interesting as always.
Lizzie's door was closed, so Miranda knocked. Apparently, whoever closed it hadn't checked to see if it latched, because it creaked open some when Miranda's knuckles hit. They couldn't see them, but they could hear them. In any other situation, Miranda though, and this would be funny.
A sound that could only be Lizzie slapping some part of Gordo's body. "Ouch! Lizzie, what . . ."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?!?"
"I didn't think it was important. Besides, you're the one who wanted things above the belt."
"I didn't know not . . . finishing could be painful for you! Didn't you realize I'd have helped if you'd let me know?"
"Lizzie, trust me, I have years of experience in handling that issue." Another body slap sounded.
Miranda knocked harder. The door finished opening, and Miranda left her hand hanging in the air in a knocking position, as if to show them that she hadn't meant to open the door. "Hi."
~~~~
When Sam told Jo about what he overheard, he tried to do it in such a way that by the time he told her what Matt said, she'd be too worried about Matt's mental state to do anything rash. By the time he was done, however, he thought that maybe he'd done too good a job. His normally decisive wife was clearly at a loss, and he found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to calm her fears.
When she was finally calm enough to think, they agreed on calling the Sanchezs before doing anything.
~~~~
Lizzie looked embarrassed, and annoyed. The tension spiked quickly between the two girls' eyes.
"I guess the door didn't latch." Gordo quickly pointed out trying to delay the storm as long as possible. He hoped that he's explanation of why the other couple may have wanted to finish what they'd started would be enough to abate Lizzie anger, at least long enough to let them try to explain themselves. He gestured to the empty chair at Lizzie's computer desk.
Miranda followed Gordo's gesture, turning the chair to face them, and sat. After latching the door, Matt sat on his feet on front of her, a position and posture that let him leap to standing in an instant. A fact lost on no one.
Miranda looked both annoyed and grateful about it. "Lizzie, Gordo," she began, "we think you should know something." Lizzie looked like she had something to say to that, but after a glance at her brother's posture, she held it. "Matt said what he said because he was upset. The truth is, your timing was as good as always." Lizzie and Gordo both looked at her with questioning faces. "While we were . . . in position, you barged in on us before we actually started that."
It took a second for that to sink in, then Gordo reacted in a way none of them expected. He started laughing. Hard. It took him a few minutes to get to where he could talk again. "So, if she'd have come in just thirty seconds earlier, she would have seen . . ." Gordo fell into laughter again as both McGuires blushed beet red at the obvious conclusion to that sentence. "Good thing Miranda let her hair grow long."
Another slap from Lizzie. "It's not funny! Even if they didn't actually do it, it's obvious they were going to."
"Yeah." Matt answered, sounding both defensive and accusatory. "So what? If I heard you two in the hall right, you're talking about it."
"So what?!?" Before Lizzie could say something they'd all regret, Gordo covered her mouth.
The sudden move caused him to loss balance, and he fell into her with all his weight. This sent them falling into the bed, precariously close to the edge. Once they'd regained their balance, it looked like Lizzie was about to start again. "Lizzie, please!" Gordo cut in. "Look, I understand. Miranda's like a sister to me, remember? But all yelling can do is push them away from us. Is that what you want?"
"No, but."
"We're worried, too." Miranda told her. When she had Lizzie's attention, she continued. "We want to wait for our first time, for more reasons than you guys can know. But in a little over a month, we've gone, or would have gone, this far. What chance do we have of holding out for much longer?"
The obvious concern in her best friend's voice resinated with Lizzie. As only best friends can, she tried to let go of her outrage, and set herself to helping her friend. "Okay, guys, I get it. It's just . . . a shock to see my brother like that. I mean, Matt, how would you feel if you walked in . . ."
"PLEASE don't finish that." Matt interrupted, clearly horrified at the thought.
The four of them chuckled lightly at that. As they began talking, the tension in the room slowly fell away.
~~~~
The Sanchezs took the news a bit calmer than Sam had expected. Instead of erupting, Edward sounded resigned. Then Sam remembered that it had been the Sanchezs, not he and Jo, who had lived through the night that sparked the agreement they now had with their kids, in addition to an extra six hours of deep conversation with them the next day, compared to he and Jo's two hours. Daniella was as practical as expected, realizing quickly they needed to think before acting. After a half-hour in conversation, they had a plan.
~~~~~~~~
The four teens had been talking for about an hour when they heard a knock on the door. "Come in" Lizzie answered automatically.
When the door opened, they saw not only Sam and Jo, but Edward and Daniella as well. Matt and Miranda had looks on their faces to make 'deer in the headlights' seem joyful by comparison. While Gordo was concerned, Lizzie's heart fell, and she felt sick. She was sure that they'd heard them, and felt certain that it had been her outburst that had done it.
Whatever they had been expecting, it wasn't what happened next. Jo walked to were Matt was sitting cross-legged on the floor, and enveloped him in an embrace. Edward followed her in, and did the same with Miranda. Lizzie and Gordo couldn't hear Edward, but they caught Jo's gentle "It'll be all right. We'll figure this out together."
~~~~~~~~
Lizzie and Gordo were sent downstairs with money to order something, while the parents stayed with Matt and Miranda. They had planned to handle this by having the men talk to Matt while the women spoke with Miranda.
However, the couple had other ideas, having collected themselves enough to think and talk straight. They explained what really did, and DIDN'T, happen, while trying to spare their parents any of the more graphic details. As she had with Lizzie and Gordo, it was Miranda who explained their worries. Only this time, there was no need to speak carefully, so she didn't.
Realizing that they weren't going to get them separated for a while, the parents listened. While they were startled at the frankness, the obvious fear that laced the story tempered their reactions. By the time Miranda was finished describing their worries, the parents at a loss for a way to help that wouldn't be hurtful.
It happened about a half-hour in. Up to that point, all that had really been established were two things. First, that all six were disappointed in what happened, and what almost happened. Second was the parents' constant reinforcement that, despite their disappointment, they weren't going to be foolish enough to try to force a separation.
It began innocently enough. Matt rubbed his temple and grumbled, almost to himself, "I could really use a laugh, but I doubt even Weird Al would work."
Miranda looked at him. "You still listen to that?"
He looked at her. "Of course. Didn't you know?"
Daniella heard all this, and an idea began to form. "You two don't really know each other, do you?" That earned her 'where have you been for the past month?' looks from the couple. "I know how fully connected you two are on the deep, emotional levels. But how much do you know about each other outside of that?"
They sat there a moment, processing what she'd said. Miranda spoke first. "She's right."
Matt had registered it at the same time Miranda had. "We've been so caught up in the emotions . . . " He looked at her. "I have no idea what CDs you own."
"I have no idea what TV shows you like." They both started snickering at the absurdity if it.
"I have an idea." Daniella told them once they'd calmed down. "Why don't you two put your energies into finding out those details about each other." Now everyone looked at her. "I know it means doing things out of the usual order of things, but they're already so connected on the deeper levels, do they really need to work on that? Yet they know so little about each other. If they are destined to spend the rest of their lives together, they should know the person they're going to be with, shouldn't they?"
Miranda looked at her mother with awe, wondering how she could have, at one time, considered her flighty.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Will Daniella's idea be what they needed? How will tonight go, and the drama of the day? That, and more, still to come.