Between the Lines Chapter 4
Disclaimer: nope, not mine. Feel for me. :)
Chapter 4
Isabel held back a frown as she observed Liz coming back sans coats, and fought the myriad feelings the tiny brunette had created in her. She had been shocked at the surge of jealousy she'd felt when her mother, her mother, had hugged the girl, and found herself resentful of the attention and devotion her brother gave to Liz without the girl having ever done anything to deserve it.
That level and kind of devotion and protectiveness Max had only shown toward herself, and Isabel wasn't too happy at having to share it with someone else, particularly this one.
That's not fair Isabel, even for you. So Max has a crush on her, has for over six years, and Mom was just being herself, hugging her. Doesn't make her…any less of the nice girl she is.
Isabel just wished she could convince her feelings to behave but she couldn't help it. Who did Liz Parker think she was trying to take her brother and her mother when she had a family of her own? She should try and convince the Parkers to adopt a little brother or sister if she was that desperate for other family members.
Izzy!
Isabel gave a start at her brother's interference in her thoughts. She glared at him and he raised his brows, answering her unspoken question.
You're broadcasting pretty strongly, he chided her.
I'll work on that, she snapped back, careful to keep her thoughts and feelings off her face, something with which she had great practice.
"Does anyone want anything to drink?" Liz asked, beating her father as he opened his mouth to ask that very same question. Father and daughter exchanged amused, knowing looks even as Mrs. Evans chuckled.
"Once a server, always a server?" she quipped, smiling.
"I prefer the term nourishing specialist," Liz's eyes sparkled with humor. "What'll ya have?"
"What are the choices?" Mr. Evans piped up.
The memories of her first family had apparently resurrected another part of herself that she'd kept repressed, and Liz found herself stating flippantly, out of Liz character,
"The usual, water, tea –sweet or unsweetened- juice, I think we have a couple kinds of soda, and if you ask nice enough, Dad might go downstairs and get you a beer."
"Liz!" Nancy admonished, aghast at her daughter's cheek.
"What?" she turned innocent eyes at her mother. "That's what we have, Mother."
Nancy gave a reproving shake of her head, wondering where in the world her daughter got that from even though Peter and Diane seemed to find the whole thing amusing. Jeff wasn't masking his delight or pleasant surprise at all.
"Or I could rustle up some coffee," Liz couldn't help but add, smirking at her mother's look of exasperation.
"I think I'll have some tea, sweetened of course," Peter Evans gave Liz a wink and her lips twitched with a partially suppressed smile.
"Ice in it? Cubed or crushed?"
"Ice, please, and it doesn't matter."
"Iced water would be perfect, and cubed ice if you don't mind," Diane stated, and Liz nodded turning her attention to the younger Evans.
"Soda," Isabel remarked.
"Me too," Max interjected, and Liz nodded, having finally caught his gaze.
"Regular, diet, orange, root beer, cream soda?"
"Regular." "Cream Soda." The siblings voiced their choices in unison.
"Right. One sweet tea with ice, ice water, cubed, regular coke, and cream soda coming right up."
"I'll help. So you don't have to balance anything awkwardly. Not that you can't, being a waitress and all," Max trailed off, embarrassed even as he caught the amused and knowing looks from the adults.
"Sure. This way."
Max followed Liz quickly on her heels, knowing he was probably making the situation worse, but eager to get away from those looks and the one his sister gave him. Max swore she could patent that glare, maybe find some way of harnessing it, and make a ton of money.
The two teens fell into a mutual silence, each one unsure, but it was surprisingly not awkward. Liz grabbed some glasses and directed Max to the pantry, where he grabbed the two liters, coming out to see Liz shutting the refrigerator door with a pitcher of tea in one hand.
She set the pitcher down on the little island doohickey with the rest of the glasses, grabbing two, and returned to one side of the fridge, adjusting the little knob for the correct ice setting for each of the glasses.
"Does Isabel like ice in her soft drink?" Liz finally asked into the stillness.
"Uhm, yeah, she does," Max fumbled a bit, a little off that once again she started a conversation.
Lately it wasn't so bad, talking to her, ever since she got shot and he had healed her, letting her know what he was. They had really bonded on a whole different plane that neither had known existed.
But he had loved her for so long, from such a distance, that it still seemed weird to actually be holding a conversation with her.
Liz couldn't help smiling and Max had the distinct feeling she knew where his thoughts lay. They had shared so much, from their brief touching, little glimpses of each other's life.
But he couldn't help but remember, during the last time they had touched and shared memories, that it felt like she was holding some part of herself back. A sort of defense mechanism, auditing and censoring bits that turned hazy and vaporous when he had tried to chase them down. The contact hadn't lasted long enough for him to delve further, but by then, Liz had already pulled away. Possibly in an unconscious reaction to her subconsciouses warning system.
Liz left one of the glasses on the water dispenser, figuring Diane Evans would much better appreciate filtered water to the tap that the Parker's generally used. She carried it and the other glass back over, filling the other cup with tea, and Max switched places with her to get Isabel some ice for her glass.
"Something smells good," Max commented and Liz couldn't help but giggle. It was so sweet, and he looked adorable, all tall and gangly and shy and uncertain…and it was true.
Her mother's cooking wafted all sorts of good smells throughout the house, smells that had been driving the brunette nuts since Nancy had first let everything percolate.
"Sure does," she agreed, and couldn't resist touching him slightly as they brushed close together while they poured the drinks.
Just the heat emanating from his closeness caused a tightening of her stomach muscles, an echoing burn making itself known in lower regions and spreading out so her entire body felt warmed and toasty.
And his scent. His scent was so…so unique, so invigorating, and so him that she couldn't get enough. She had never scented anyone like him before. That had been the first thing she had noticed, all those years ago, over all the scent of human, tires, diesel, and blacktop was something…not human. Not transgenic or transhuman either, but it wasn't unpleasant. Even before she had made the correlation that he was 'alien' she knew he'd been different. Knew, and didn't care.
The pair swapped shy smiles as they once again fell silent while carrying the various drinks out to those gathered in the living room.
"Drinks are here," Liz announced in the chipper voice her best friend Maria dubbed 'the waitress shtick'. "One sweet tea with unspecified ice so I just gave you cubed, and here's your ice water, filtered."
"Thanks, sweet pea," Peter Evans grinned rakishly at the petite brunette, who took his good-natured teasing in stride.
Diane Evans rolled her eyes at her husband's obviousness even as she thanked the young Parker but took it with all the affection of many years together.
"No problem," she just shrugged it off.
"Here's you drink," Max handed his sister hers, and she took it with a muttered 'thank-you'.
"Mom, Dad, you want anything? I'm gonna get me something."
"No thanks, Lizzie, but if you could take the wine out of the pantry and put it on ice for me I'd appreciate it," Jeff Parker smiled at his daughter.
"Sure," she grinned back with obvious affection, eyes flicking toward her mother who only shook her head and waved her away with an 'I'll get something later.'
"Okay. Be right back."
Liz turned around and almost bumped into Max, who had been closer than she'd thought, and some of his drink splashed on his wrist.
"Oops, my fault," he gave a sheepish grin.
"Puh-lease," Isabel groaned and rolled her eyes heavenward.
Could my brother be anymore obvious? She asked the Powers that Be, not expecting a reply to her rhetorical question. Disgusting.
"C'mon back to the kitchen and we'll clean it up," Liz sighed, even as she was kicking herself mentally.
Excellent demonstration of X5 grace and powers of observation, she chided herself. If only Big Brother could see you now. I can just imagine the lecture: 'You must be aware of yourself, your companions, enemies, and your surroundings at all times.'
This was so going to be a long night.
