Author's Note: This is another filler type chapter, in other words, I'm not sure where I'm going with this story anymore. I know how it is going to end and I even know where the sequel is going to go...I just don't know what else to do with this story. Does anyone have any ideas or things they'd like to see happen before the end, I'm open to suggestions. Otherwise the last month and a half of their summer is going to fly by and be summarized. Also, this chapter is a little sappy, sorry to those you out there who don't like that so much. Anyway, let me know what you think! Thanks! Tinkerbell!

The next morning everyone woke up early. It was their last day at the cabin; they were heading back home tomorrow morning; so everyone wanted to pack as much into one day as they could. After a breakfast of omelets and hash browns Brad and Miranda set out on their bikes. It had become a ritual for them. Gordo and Lizzie seemed to think that all they did on their rides was stop to make-out but it was so much more than that. This had become their time to really get to know one another; so as they rode they posed questions back and forth. Gordo and Lizzie had known each other their whole lives and so already knew everything about each other. Miranda felt that they were missing out. Everyday she learned new things about Brad that helped her to understand him even better. And as her understanding of him grew, so did the feelings she had for him. Miranda didn't know for sure what it felt like to be in love; she did know that if she wasn't already in love with Brad Gordon, she probably would be soon.

"What's it like to have relative who live in a different country?" Brad asked her.

"It's neat mostly. But there are a few downfalls. One is that every family vacation we ever take is to go to that country to visit them. The second, used to be a big downfall for me when I was younger, but really isn't anymore," Miranda said.

"I can understand that, "Brad said, "So what was it?"

"You know when you're young and you want to be exactly the same as everyone else?" Miranda asked.

"Yes," Brad said quietly.

"Well, when I was younger it seemed weird to other kids that I had relatives who lived in a different country. I hated that. Other kids would ask me questions about them, like they were aliens or something. I just wanted to be like everyone else," Miranda said.

"I know exactly what you are talking about. I always wanted to just blend in, not just because I was a nerd though. When I was in elementary school I was one of the only kids whose parents were divorced. It is so common now, but back then it wasn't and the other kids tended to made a bigger deal out of it than it actually was," Brad said.

"Can I ask you something about that?" Miranda asked tentatively.

"Sure," Brad replied.

"So, this summer your Dad went to Taiwan for work and you came to stay with Gordo and his parents. Why didn't you just go stay with your Mom?" Miranda asked.

"My Mom left my Dad and I when I was about 6. She just disappeared and then one day my Dad got divorce papers served to him. My Dad didn't want to get divorced so he tried to contact her and work something out, but she told him that she wanted to get remarried to someone else. The divorce was really messy and they fought for custody of me. It came down to which one I wanted to live with. When the judge asked me who I'd rather live with I said my Dad and my Mom has never forgiven me for that. I tried to keep in touch, but now she is remarried and has kids with her new husband and they are more important than I am to her." Brad said.

"I'm so sorry Brad, I had no idea." Miranda said sadly.

"That's okay. It's history and I try not to think about it. I just try and focus on the people who are happy to have me in their lives," Brad said.

"Why did you go with your Dad instead of your Mom?" Miranda asked.

"She'd left me once; how could I be sure that she wouldn't leave me with her new husband and run away again?" Brad said, "I wasn't sure I wanted to take that chance. Plus, my Dad and I became really close when she left us; I just couldn't have done that to him," Brad said.

"Do you miss him?" Miranda asked.

"Now?" Brad asked.

"Yeah, I mean, you haven't seen him all summer," Miranda said.

"Yeah, I guess I do. But we email and I talk to him on the phone every once in a while," Brad said.

For a while they biked along in silence. Brad was thinking about the last conversation he'd had with his father before they'd left to come to the cabin. His father had told him that the job in Taiwan was going really well and that it was possible that the position would open up for someone to accept full-time. His father had also told him that he was being considered to be that full-time person. He would know by the end of the summer, which way it was going to go. He had told Brad that if he accepted the position he'd like for Brad to come to live with him in Taiwan. Brad wasn't sure that he wanted to live in Taiwan though and he'd expressed that to his father. His father said he'd be sad if he didn't want to come live with him, but that he'd understand. Brad had been pondering this decision all summer. What if his father got this job; what was he going to do?

"Penny for your thoughts?" Miranda asked.

Brad smiled over at her and said, "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have you in my life." He wasn't ready to share the decision he had to make with anyone. He already knew how Miranda felt about his leaving at the end of the summer. He wanted to be sure that he made the decision on his own and not with the aid of any outside opinions on the matter.

"I'm not sure I buy that," Miranda said, "That expression was far too serious for that to have been what you were really thinking about."

"You're right," Brad said with a sigh, "And don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not quite ready to share what I was thinking about."

Miranda frowned a little bit but nodded in agreement.

Back at the cabin, Gordo and Lizzie were curled up together in the girls' bed. After breakfast they had come back upstairs and climbed into bed. They were nestled together in a cocoon of blankets. They'd been alternately talking and dozing.

"Do you think it will be weird to go back to school as a couple?" Lizzie asked.

"No. Do you?" Gordo asked.

"Not really because we're together all the time anyway. I just wonder how people will react to it," Lizzie said.

"Well, the only people who really matter are you and me and we're both fine with it, right?" Gordo asked.

"Yeah," Lizzie said.

"And you forget," Gordo added, "Most of our friends saw us as a couple at your birthday party."

"Oh yeah!" Lizzie said, "I forget that other people were there. When I think about that night all that really stands out, was you telling me that you love me."

"And that you love me too," Gordo added.

Lizzie sighed contentedly and said, "I have never been so happy."

Gordo kissed her lightly, wrapped his arms around her and they fell asleep.

The rest of their last day at the cabin went by quickly because they were so busy. They swam and played in the lake. Gordo and Lizzie visited their island one last time. They played some board games with Mrs. Gordon. They even took an hour to help Mrs. Gordon clean the cabin from top to bottom. When night came and Mr. and Mrs. Gordon had gone to bed, Gordo and Lizzie went out and lay on the dock to watch the stars.

"I'm not ready to go home tomorrow," Lizzie said.

"I know, me neither," Gordo replied, "I kind of wish we could stay here forever."

"I'm really glad you invited Miranda and I to come to the cabin. I will remember this forever," Lizzie said.

"Well, hopefully you will be coming to the cabin with us from now on, forever," Gordo said.

"I'm going to miss you coming to lay with me in the mornings. My bed at home is going to feel so lonely," Lizzie said.

"I could sneak over and climb into your bed sometimes," Gordo offered.

"No, my Dad would probably kill you. Besides, it can just be a special cabin thing. Maybe someday when we go off to college you can sneak into my dorm room and lay with me," Lizzie suggested.

"Do you think we'll be together that long?" Gordo asked.

"Definitely," Lizzie said, "I can't imagine my life without you."

"Me neither," Gordo said. Gordo stood up and pulled Lizzie to her feet, "Come on, I have something to show you."

Gordo led Lizzie up to his room and sat her down at his desk in front of his laptop. "Against my better judgment, I am going to let you watch one of my movies. When I leave you can press return and the movie will start."

"Why aren't you watching it with me?" Lizzie asked.

"Too embarrassing," Gordo said.

"You don't have to let me watch this," Lizzie said.

"No, I want to," Gordo said.

Gordo left the room and shut the door behind him. Lizzie pressed return and started the movie. On a black screen, in white letters, it said, "Why I Love Lizzie McGuire, By David Gordon, June 2000." Lizzie quickly did the math to learn that Gordo had been 13 when he made this movie. Some unfamiliar music played in the background and images of a younger Lizzie filled the screen: Lizzie laughing, playing, running, smiling, talking, writing, tripping, sleeping and more. Lizzie smiled at the images of how Gordo must see her. After several minutes of these images, Gordo's voice interrupted the music. "This is Lizzie McGuire, the girl that I am in love with. Let me tell you why I love Lizzie McGuire. She is sweet, funny, nice, kind, beautiful, smart and so much more. But let me tell you the most important reason that I love Lizzie. She is my best friend. She has been my best friend since before I can remember. She has always been there for me. Some may think that 13 is too young to fall in love and it may be so. But I am 13 and I am sure that Lizzie McGuire is the only one for me. I hope to someday spend the rest of my life with her by my side." The movie ended and the screen faded to black. Lizzie wiped the tears from her face and smiled.

Gordo came back into the room and saw Lizzie's face, "That bad?" he quipped.

"No, it was just so sweet," Lizzie said, "I can't understand how you were so sure about me when we were only 13 years old."

"I don't understand it either, it's just the way I have always felt," Gordo said.

Lizzie kissed him gently and hugged him tightly.