Abuhin – I was thinking about that a few days ago too. While odds are he'd prolly end up with either Lizzie or Miranda, there is still a chance he'd end up with someone he'd meet in college or as an adult.

This is the end, well for now at least. Right now, I'm focusing on finishing the final story of the Fairytale Collection. Once I finish that, I may come back and write a few more chapters for this. I got a few ideas but if anyone else as any, let me know.

Is anyone else having problems doing anything with their profile. Everytime I try to change something, it thinks I want to change my pen name.

A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 9 – Halloween

As Gordo was finishing cooking supper and Samantha was playing in her room, Miranda was putting away laundry. Hanging up shirts in their closet, she moved around some boxes that were cluttering the closet floor. "Gordo is such a pack rat," she said to herself with a small grin.

Hanging up the rest of the shirts, she started to move the boxes around and put them into some kind of order so she wasn't kicking them every time she entered the closet. As she pushed the boxes around, she found a small plastic container. Grinning a little, she instantly recognized it as the container she used to keep some of her old keepsakes in. "Ok, so maybe I am too," she thought to herself with a laugh.

Pulling the container out, she popped the top and grinned a little as she started shifting through the box. About half way through the box, she came across an old Halloween costume. Pulling it out, her grin instantly turned into a wide smile.

It was so much more than just a Halloween costume. This is what had been what she was wearing when she really realized Gordo saw her as more than just a best friend.

"Halloween, senior year," she said softly.

Early on, it had been harder on the couple when they were actually together than before. Gordo was in Los Angeles most of the time for his freshman year at USC and she was still in Hill Ridge for her senior year of high school.

Standing up, she looked at the costume in her hands and then at her reflection in a nearby mirror. "I wonder if it'd still fit?" she thought to herself, half joking and half serious. As she thought about it, she remembered the way Gordo looked at her that night and how he'd possibly look at her now with it on. "It was the first time I ever saw him with that look in his eyes and looking at me," she thought with huge smile.

In retrospect, she should've been annoyed and a little offended but she felt the opposite. She felt excited and happy that Gordo was actually looking at her, her, like that.

"Rand! Sammy! Dinner's ready," Gordo called from downstairs.

Shutting the container and shoving it back inside the closet, before she left the room, she paused at her dresser and put the costume into one of the drawers. With a snicker and a small shake of the head, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

-----

It was the high school's Halloween dance and Miranda was standing near one of the walls of the large gymnasium. "Once again, I'm the wall flower. Why the hell did I let Lizzie and Kate talk me into doing this stupid Disney princess thing," she thought with a scowl as she watched the other students dancing.

Sighing, she looked down at her costume, "I look like an idiot."

For Halloween, Lizzie and Kate had decided that they would all dress up like one of the Disney princess. Lizzie was Cinderella and Kate was Sleeping Beauty. Since Claire had already picked Snow White, the only other brunette was Jasmine.

So she found a pair of light blue baggy pants with a same colored belly shirt with sheer sleeves, and a matching pair of ballet flats. Her raven hair was down back and pulled into a loose ponytail.

As Miranda grabbed a brownie from the food table, she spotted Lizzie flirting with someone. While Lizzie and Miranda were still best friends, they had drifted a little. They were busy doing their own things and often when one was free, the other wasn't. Lizzie hung out with Kate and her crowd more and Miranda hung out more with her friends from the choir. But often when they did get a chance to hang out together, it reminded her of how much she missed her best friend. She also noticed how weird it felt it just being the two of them. It was also because she just missed Gordo.

Gordo had graduated a year early like he planned and had started at USC in August. Over the course of last year, the breakup and hurt feelings between Lizzie and Gordo had slowly slipped away. It'd still take awhile but Lizzie and Gordo would be close friends again.

Letting out an annoyed grumble, she pulled at her shirt trying to hide more of her exposed midsection. "Why did I agree to this?" she asked herself for what must've been the hundredth time that night. "They look great in their costumes but I look ridiculous. Jasmine," Miranda let out a bitter snort, "yea right."

Suddenly a very familiar voice spoke up from behind her. "I don't know, Jasmine as always been one of my favorites and from where I'm standing, you make one hell of a Jasmine."

"Gordo!" Miranda spun around with a grin and saw him smiling softly at her. When she saw what he was wearing, her grin instantly widened.

As if reading her mind, "You say one word and I'm waking out of here," he teased. He had come dressed as Aladdin; all he needed was the hat, a little monkey, and a parrot.

Laughing softly, "I'm not gonna say anything." As he walked up to her, they hugged tightly, "I missed you," she whispered to him.

"I missed you too," he said softly, then his face turned red, "Both of you. I mean I've missed both of you."

Rolling her eyes, "What are you doing here? Much less dress like that. I thought you were staying in the city this weekend."

"I was but then I got a call from a certain blonde best friend who was worried about you."

Miranda felt her heart sink a little and it scared her, "So Lizzie asked you to come?"

Gordo shook his head no. "She told me she was worried about you not having a date and the whole Disney thing, but she never asked me to come. That was my idea, I know a guy in the props department of USC's theatre program and I decided to come home for the weekend."

During the dance, they hung out a little with Lizzie, who promised the three of them would do something tomorrow, but for the most part, it was just the two of them. Not that Miranda was complaining.

Gordo had taken her home and as they were standing on her front porch, Miranda knew Gordo was saying something but she wasn't exactly hearing him. Then suddenly, before she realized it, Miranda leaned in and kissed him. If it had just been a quick kiss, Miranda could've explained it as just a thank you, spur of the moment type thing, but it wasn't.

When Miranda felt Gordo kiss her back, she got scared and broke the kiss. Mumbling and stumbling over words, she quickly turned to run through the front door but Gordo stopped her by gently grabbing her forearm.

"Mir." he said softly. "There…I…We…" Sighing, Gordo ran a hand through his hair as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. "Do you remember Junior Ball? When we slowed dance." Miranda nodded; they had gone together, but just as friends or so they said. "Well, I liked it more than I let on," he said softly. "I came back not just because I wanted to do something nice for you but because I…uh,"

Miranda had been looking at the ground as she listened to him but when he paused, she slowly looked up at him, "What Gordo?"

Fidgeting a little, he started to lightly bounce on his feet. "I came back because I wanted to be your date. This past year or so, there's been something between us; maybe its always been there and I've been too wrapped up in Lizzie to really notice it but I like it and I miss it. I miss us bickering and making fun of stupid stuff, most of all, I just miss you. You make my life, uh, interesting to say the least."

Taking a deep breath, "I feel the same way," she told him.

Gordo looked at her surprised. He was always surprised when a girl showed any kind of interest in him, even Lizzie. "You do?"

Miranda nodded, "You remember my thirteenth birthday?" When a sly smile tugged at Gordo's lips, she smiled too knowing he remembered. "Maybe when I…uh…you…"

Gordo laughed softly and when Miranda gave him a questioning glance, he grinned softly. "You're cute when you're embarrassed." It just slipped out and when he heard himself say it, he blushed.

Miranda grinned. "So you think I'm cute?" she teased.

"When you're not shooting off your mouth," he shot back.

Without realizing it, they had moved so they were standing only an inch or two apart. They both felt their pulses start racing and their breathing get heavier.

Miranda watched in amusement as Gordo practically started shaking, "Umm, I was thinking, USC is opening a Latin America art exhibit next weekend and I was wondering if you, maybe, if you wanted to go…," he never really finished but just kind of trailing off.

Miranda bit back a laugh, but her grin kept growing, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were asking me out?"

"I am."

Tilting her head a little, she studied him for a moment. After a few seconds, she couldn't keep him in suspense any longer. "I'd like to see the exhibit with you."

A huge smile lit up Gordo's face. "Cool. You can crash in my room…uh, I mean you can sleep in my bed…I'd, uh, sleep on the floor of course…oh man."

Miranda laughed softly, "Gordo…shut up," she ordered him and then leaned in and kissed him again.

-----

As Miranda was helping Gordo clean up after dinner, Gordo grinned as he saw Miranda's smile. He had first noticed it when she came downstairs and it grew wider during diner. "What's put you in such a good mood?" he asked her as he washed the dishes.

Miranda shrugged, "Just the trip down memory lane about us." Then a small, evil smile tugged at her lips, "Plus I found something in our closet."

"Oh. What did you find?" Gordo asked curiously.

A small snicker escaped Miranda's lips. "You remember the Jasmine costume?" Gordo almost let a dish slip through his hands and Miranda giggled softly at the expression on Gordo's face. "I'll take that as a yes," she teased.

Smirking at her, "Yea, I remember it. It marked what I like to call the beginning of the end." he shot back sarcastically. Miranda pretended to take a swing at him which Gordo easily blocked it and pulled her to him.

"Maybe tonight, we'll see if it still fits," she said with a small giggle. Gordo grinned at her and kissed the side of her head. Letting go of her, he went to finish the dishes.

"I thought I'd be bored that weekend; you and something intellectual," she pretended to shudder, "that's a deadly mix."

Gordo looked over his shoulder at her, "Oh really?" Miranda started laughing again and he couldn't keep the grin of his face. "So why weren't you bored?" he asked as he finished the dishes and turned around to face her.

Slipping her arms around his waist, she smiled at him, "Cause I had been waiting almost five years for that moment."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he grinned back at her. "So you'd been waiting five years for me?" he asked sarcastically.

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Oh please. I wasn't sitting around waiting. Besides, I like to consider that I was waiting for you to come to your senses," she teased. "Just didn't realize it take you five years," she added under her breath, just loud enough for Gordo to hear.

"Hey it was a hard decision. The sexy blonde or the sultry brunette," Gordo defended himself. "Besides, I think in the end I made the right decision," he said before kissing Miranda. "Where's Sammy?" he asked with a mischievous grin.

Miranda snickered, "Across the street at the McCormick's with Anna. Why?"

"Wanna see if it still fits?"

Laughing softly, "Is that the only thing you ever think about?"

"Not the only thing," Gordo said sarcastically. "Just most of the time."

Miranda started laughing harder, "You're so predictable." Letting go of each other, Miranda took his hand, "Maybe later. Right now, I've got a better idea." She led Gordo into living room. Pushing him down onto the couch so Gordo sat on one end of the couch and picking up his arm, she curled up into his side and put his arm around her. Yawning a little, "When was the last time the house was this quiet?"

"Cause of Sammy or you?" he teased and Miranda elbowed him. Snickering, Gordo pulled her tighter and whispering into her hair, "I know what you mean. Mir." He waited until she was looking at him to continue, "All this looking back as really made me realize, that I really did make the right choice."

Miranda grinned at him, "You just want to get to playing dress up faster," she said before kissing him.

"I love you Rand," Gordo said as they broke the kiss.

"I love you too David," Miranda answered as she rested her head on his shoulder.

The two of them sat there for awhile, not just enjoying the peacefulness of the quiet house but just getting a chance to spend some time alone together like this. While they wouldn't trade having Samantha for anything, just the two of them being alone like this had been rare lately and sorely missed.

Spending the weekend reminiscing about the past had been fun and had also made them both realize that in the end, while it may have taken awhile, they both made the right choice and it had defiantly been worth it.