Chapter Eight: Changes and Close Calls

The next day when Liz awoke, she rolled over to find Lorraine flipping through the latest issue of Allure and humming softly to herself. "What's got you in such a good mood?" she asked.

Lorraine jumped. "Oh, I didn't know you were up. Sleep well?"

"Sure. No different from normal." She glanced around. "Where is everybody?"

"Out," Lorraine said simply as she returned her attention to the magazine.

Liz grinned. "Well, I can see I'm not going to get much information out of you." She flipped back the covers and swung out of bed, pulling on a pale purple bathrobe. "See you later, Lori." Lorraine nodded vaguely in response, making Liz smile even more as she left the room and padded lightly down the hall to the kitchen. Her mother was standing at the sink, rinsing dishes. Apparently they'd skipped the big family breakfast this morning. "Hey Mom, is it fend-for-yourself this morning?"

Kate turned and smiled at her second-oldest daughter. "Something like that. I was going to make scones again, but Charlie was up at the crack of dawn to go jogging and Kim and Jess came down to eat and study. I haven't seen the rest of the kids this morning, so I made something for myself and they can attack the cold cereal when they're hungry. Oh, and your father and I have that tennis date with Jimmy and Sarina later this morning, so I'll need you to stay close to the house in case anybody needs anything. Is that okay?"

"Sure, Mom," Liz replied as she dug out the Captain Crunch and poured a bowl. "Just as long as I get the afternoon to myself."

"Deal." Kate said. Liz glanced at her and they both grinned, enjoying the mother-daughter moment.

Liz sat out on the dock later that morning, dipping her feet in the water and splashing every so often to watch the sunlight dance on the droplets. She glanced around for Charlie, wondering if he'd gotten back yet. She hadn't seen him all morning and was surprised when he still hadn't come back by the time their parents had left.

"Mrs. Baker?" a voice asked. Liz turned to see a man in the Club staff uniform standing on the dock behind her.

Pulling her legs out of the water and getting to her feet, she approached him. "I'm her daughter. Can I help you?"

He looked distressed that she was not who he was looking for. "Are your parents around?"

"Nope. They're playing tennis over at the club. Why?"

"One of your siblings created a little trouble at the gift shop. Got caught lifting some makeup. Well, I'll go find them, thanks for your help." He nodded and jogged back to his car, igniting the engine and taking off.

Raising an eyebrow, Liz muttered, "You're welcome…"

She thought for a moment about grabbing her keys and following him over there, but decided against it. She'd find out soon enough who it was and besides, she had Nigel, Kyle, Kim and Jessica to look after.

A couple hours later, she'd learned enough to send her head reeling. Sarah hadgotten caught for stealing makeup, Kenny and Mark had trashed the tennis court, and they were signed up to compete in the Labor Day Cup again. Tom Baker called a meeting to organize who would be participating in which event. "From this moment on, no seeing the Murtaughs, no talking about the Murtaughs, no thinking about the Murtaughs."

"Can't we compete and still, like, see them?" Sarah demanded.

"No," their father replied promptly.

"Dad –" Liz began.

"No more objections," Tom overrode her, "I am no longer a father, I am your coach. We have a week to get ready and I want everyone doing their best. Now let's go!"

For the next five days, Liz felt her pent-up frustration growing. She watched her younger siblings starting to crack under the constant nagging of their father and watched as Sarah grew more and more angry. One afternoon, Liz had finally gotten free of her father's training for the volleyball game and she snuck down to the docks, where, to her surprise, she found Sarah. "Hey," she said gently as she sat down beside her younger sister. "What's up?"

Sarah didn't answer for a few minutes. Then, "I'm starting to wish we'd never come. This whole vacation sucks."

"The whole vacation sucks?" Liz asked, nodding pointedly toward The Boulders.

She was rewarded with a small smile. "Well," Sarah conceded, "Not the whole vacation, I guess."

"So what are you going to do about Eliot? That's why you stole the makeup, wasn't it?" Liz asked gently.

Sarah blushed. "Don't remind me, please, Lizzie? And what about Eliot?"

"Are you ever going to let him know how you feel?"

"Probably not. We can't talk to them, remember? Besides, I'm not the only one who's hiding her feelings." Sarah stared pointedly at Liz. "What about you and Calvin? What's happening with you two?"

"Nothing, right now," Liz admitted. "I don't think he's really all that interested in me anymore."

"But he –"

"Hey baby! Lizzie Baker!" Liz looked up to see Braddock cruising across the water on a jet ski. Behind him, Evan, Kelly and his second sister – Rachel – fanned out and slowed as they pulled in toward the dock. Liz stood, pulling Sarah up beside her.

"What do you want, Zimmerman?" Liz asked coldly.

"Your body," he replied. Liz felt her insides freeze.

"Hey Baker, where's your brother? The hot one?" Kelly called out. Rachel giggled beside her.

"Sarah, want to come hang with me?" Evan called, patting the seat behind him.

Liz took a step back, pulling Sarah with her. "Time to go," she whispered to her sister. As one, they turned and walked away, but not fast enough. The engines shut off and Liz heard and felt the dock shake as Braddock jumped onto it. In a few strides, he'd covered the distance between them and caught her arm. "Nobody walks away from me, sweetie."

"Yeah, well, I just did," Liz retorted rudely. "How's that feel on your oversized ego?" At the same time, she kept herself between Sarah and the Zimmermans, having noticed Evan sidling his way past Braddock. "Braddock? Did you know that I have eleven other brothers and sisters, plus my parents, sitting in the house. All it takes is a little shout, and every single one of them will be out here to pound you into a shapeless lump."

"Hey Liz!" Daniel called out from his canoe he was sharing with Eliot as they paddled lazily around the lake. He'd come close enough to realize that something was up. "Do you need help?" He grinned and turned to Eliot. "Get your phone out and call Calvin and Anne down here, they'll want to help run these city kids off the Bakers' property."

Braddock's eyes shifted uneasily between Liz and Daniel. A minute later, he apparently decided that he wasn't ready to handle thirteen Bakers and four Murtaughs all at once. "C'mon guys," he muttered sourly, hastily and gingerly touching the still-healing bruise on his cheek – a gift from his last encounter with Calvin. Liz smirked as he and his siblings slid back onto their jet skis and tore off toward the far end of the lake, leaving the Murtaugh's canoe rocking in their wakes.

She raised a hand and waved to Daniel. "Thanks, Murtaugh!" she called.

"No problem, Baker," he responded. "Calvin sends you his regards," he added a second later, winking cheekily.

"You behave, Daniel Murtaugh!" she scolded good-naturedly. She turned to Sarah, who was staring at Eliot shyly. "Come on, little sis, let's go back before Dad comes looking for us." Sarah nodded and, with a small wave at Eliot, turned and followed Liz back to the house.

Yeah, skimmed over version of the lovely little montage in the movie of their training for the Labor Day Cup. I still have to think of an event for Liz to compete in that's not already taken, so if anybody has any ideas, that would be great. Just put it in your review as you drop it off before going to the next chapter! You know you'd love to! Thanks guys!

Elena