Title-Saving The Digital Bean

Disclaimer-I own nothing of Lizzie McGuire and have nothing to give if sued

Author's note-The trio are in their mid twenties while Matt and Melina are in their early twenties.

HILL RIDGE,FRIDAY 5PM

Matt McGuire wearing his policeman's uniform could only stand in his parents living room and shake his head at the goings on there.

"You guys are really going to go through with this aren't you?"asked Matt after he finally got tired of watching.

Lizzie looked up at her little brother with a very determined look etched upon her face.

"Of course we are Matt," said Lizzie as she and her little group of protesters begin to go over all their gear "I've told you since word of this deal started that we wouldn't let some out of town company to just come in and buy up that area down town."

"But Lizzie that area down town has fallen on to some very hard economic times," said Matt trying to plead with his sister "This company out of LA has stated that they plan to pay a fair price for all the property and businesses in that area. They than plan to tear down all of those old buildings and turn that whole area into a new state of the art urban renewal zone. They also said they were going to use part of that area to build one of the biggest malls in California there. I thought of all the people in this town you and your friends here would love that part of the deal!"

"Matt we love the idea of a new mall opening here as much as the next girl does," said Lizzie shaking her head "But one of the blocks that this company is wanting to buy and tear down on happens to be the same block that the Digital Bean is on."

"And there is no way I or anyone else here in this room will allow our favorite childhood hangout to be demolished. Right girls?" said Lizzie looking around at the assorted group of girls around her.

Miranda Sanches,Melina Bianco,Kate Sanders and Claire Miller all nodded their heads in agreement at that announcement.

"Lizzie are you trying to tell me that you...all of you," said Matt looking at all the girls in the room "Are doing this to just save some old coffee house?"

"Yes, we are Matt," said Lizzie forcefully "And the Digital Bean is not just some old coffee house as you call it. Its the place where we spent most of our childhood at.It has a firm place in all of our hearts and it's worth fighting for."

"But Lizzie think about this a little more please," said Matt rubbing his forehead in frustration.

"As you know I'm now a member of the Hill Ridge police force I will more than likely be the one who gets called in if your protest gets out of hand. I'm the one if it comes to it who'll have to come in and arrest you guys," said Matt.

"Matt our protest will be peaceful and in no way will get out of hand," said Lizzie smiling at her younger brother "I promise you, you won't have to arrest anyone."

"Well, that is a little comforting," sighed Matt feeling a little better "The last thing I want to do is slap my handcuffs down on one of my loved ones."

"But Matt sweetie," said Melina given her boyfriend a very innocent smile, or as much of an innocent smile that Melina Bianco could pull off "I thought you liked it when I was a naughty girl and you got to slap your handcuffs on me?"

Matt could only stand there in his parents living room and turn three shades of red as all the girls in the room started grinning at him after hearing that little tidbit of info.Well all the girls in the room that was with the exception of his mother. Jo McGuire was now glaring at her son and she didn't look a bit pleased with what she had just heard.

"Anyway" said Matt quickly hoping to change the subject to anything but him "Like I said you guys are really going to fight this? Your really going to try to stop this company, who more than likely will bring in many much needed jobs? Not to mention all the revenue and tax money the new down town district would bring in."

"We have no problem with any company coming in to help out the town Matt," said Lizzie "Its just couldn't this company find somewhere else to build all this new stuff? Somewhere else other than where the Digital Bean is currently located?"

"No Lizzie," sighed Matt "The company sent people in many times to scout out all the areas around town. The only logical place they found for them to build the new mall and all the other stuff is the blocks around where the Digital Bean is!"

"Well I don't care!" said Lizzie forcefully "We've gotten word that the person in charge of making this deal go through will be in town this weekend. He's supposed to come to town for a big meeting with the city council. And we girls are going to be there to show them that some people here in this town don't like what's going down here!"

"Right on Lizzie!" said Miranda as she held a thick wad of paper up in front of Matt's face and waved it "We went all over town and now have over a hundred signatures on this petition. A petition to save the Digital Bean! And we're going to use it to show the city council that we mean business!"

"One hundred signatures? That's all you got?" asked Matt smirking.

"Well, we would have gotten more if that brand new Starbucks hadn't opened up in town," said Lizzie frowning "But that doesn't matter! We're going to go in there and tear into whoever it is that company has sent to finish up their deal. We're going to show that bastard he can't just come in here and take away part of our childhood!"

TWO DAY BEFORE LIZZIE DECLARATION
LA
THE CONNERS BUILDING

"Hey David thanks for coming in on your day off," Jeff Conners millionaire and ultra smooth business man said as his number one man knocked on his door and stuck his head into his office.

"Not a problem Mr. Conners," said David Gordon walking in and taken the seat that his boss was motioning for him to sit in.

"I called you in here David because something unexpected has come up and I believe that we need to talk about it," said Mr. Conners as he sat back down behind his huge mahogany desk.

"Yes, sir."

"My people on the street are telling me that our little deal in your home town has how should I put this," said Mr. Conners looking up for a second before looking back at Gordo "Well lets just say it's ran into a little bit of a snag."

"A snag sir?" said Gordo a little confused. Last he heard the multimillion dollar business deal that he was making with his home town was running smoothly "What kind of snag might you be refering to sir?"

"Well it seems that a small group of... ohhh lets call them a misguided bunch of citizens there have taken upon themselves to start protesting our deal."

"Protest!" said Gordo shocked "Protest about what? This deal is a win win for all sides! We pay for part of the town to get a brand new face lift! Not to mention all the jobs and tax money that will come rolling in to them thanks to us! We get to own the land not to mention the large yearly payments we get from business that rent space in the mall and the other spots around it.What the hell does anyone have to protest about!"

"Well that's where you come in David," said Mr. Conners smiling "I want you to take sometime off and take a vacation. Maybe even go up to that hometown of yours.Prehaps you could spend sometime there getting to know this group that's causing us all this trouble. You might even be able to find out what their price is."

"Price sir?" asked Gordo was again confused.

"Yes, David, their price," said Mr. Conners "I believe I taught you well enough by now to know that everyone in this world has their price. The hard part is finding out just what that price is and meeting it."

"And so that's what I want you to do David. Go back to your hometown for a spell, try to find out who this group is and learn all you can about them," said Mr. Conners his smile gone and shooting a very serious look at Gordo "But most importantly David I want you to do whatever it takes to make sure that this very important deal of ours goes through. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir loud and clear," said David.

"Well good than," said Mr. Conners once again smiling at Gordo "Now David why don't you head on home and start getting packed for this hometown reunion you'll soon be having."

"Yes, sir" said David as he got up and headed out of his bosses office.

Walking to the company elevator Gordo made the firm decision that whoever it was in his hometown that was trying to jeopardize his biggest business deal ever was going to get crushed just as soon as he made it back into Hill Ridge.

TBC?