so it's the halfway point, as far as i remember. i have only found up to part 51 archived elsewhere online, but i'm pretty sure there were 60 (maybe even 62) chapters of this particular fic. it's the longest thing i've ever written. and you guys, this is still not everything. i don't know what i'll do when my archive material runs dry.
check out parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. read on for part 30...
Liz and Michael stood with Isabel on the edge of the lake. The water looked cool and inviting, but Kyle'’s glaring lateness had as yet prevented them from diving into the lake for a refreshing swim. Isabel paced back and forth on the embankment as Liz and Michael watched her without comment.
Michael was sick of waiting. He was also frustrated. He and Liz would have been able to take advantage of the extra time. Just thinking about that had him all hot and bothered. "“Iz. Seriously. There is no reason why we all have to be here to stick to the schedule. It’'s okay to cut loose.”"
“"Michael?”"
“"Yeah?”"
“"Have you ever been camping?"”
"“No. But—“—"
“"Then don’'t say one little word.”" Isabel glared at Michael and resumed her pacing. Grumbling under her breath about the delay. She hated when things went off schedule, even more now than ever.
“"Liz, baby, why did we agree to come?”" Michael whispered in her ear.
"“I think we wanted to take advantage of the situation.”" Liz whispered back grinning.
“"Oh. When do you think we’ll have a chance to do that?”"
"“Hopefully, as soon as Kyle gets his ass over here.”"
Isabel ignored their conversation. She was worried about Kyle. There was simply no reason for him to take this long. Everything had to go according to plan. She’'d been so careful. She couldn't take it if something had happened to him. Not to Kyle. Not after losing Alex.
Michael shrugged off Isabel’'s agitation. He'd been around the Christmas Nazi one time too many to start questioning her now. Except that the idea of Camping Director Nazi was frankly really frightening. Frightening enough for him to be plotting ways to escape the camp with Liz. And a sleeping bag.
Liz, on the other hand, watched Isabel carefully. While she hadn’'t spent that much time with Isabel, especially when in one of her moods, there just didn’'t seem any need for Isabel to be so anal retentive about the schedule. Especially not about watersports. It seemed like she was more preoccupied with Kyle. And Liz couldn’'t help but wonder if she and Michael were the only ones hiding something.
Kyle arrived suddenly, careening down the hill grab a surprised Isabel from behind and twirling her around. Startled into laughter Isabel forgot to be angry with him, instead wrapping her arms around him once they were still. Asking him once he’d set her down, “"What took you so long?”"
"“I couldn’'t figure out your system."” He replied.
"“What do you mean?”"
“"You know, however it is that you organize things. Took me forever to figure out where the hell you put my suit.”"
“"As opposed to the way you organize, Kyle your things were a mess.”"
"“But I know my mess.”" Kyle argued back goodnaturedly.
"“You didn’'t—"—“
“"Take a chill pill Princess, I didn’'t change a thing.”"
Michael and Liz watched as they interacted silently. There was no doubt in their minds that there was something going on between Isabel and Kyle.
Michael looked at the distance between him and Liz and compared it to the lack of distance in the way Kyle and Isabel were standing and decided that the time to do something about it was now.
"“Baby?”" he whispered loudly.
“"Hmm.”"
"“You’'re standing too damn far away again.”"
Liz looked at him and scooted over closer. Michael shook his head.
“"Closer.”"
Liz again scooted this time until their bodies were in complete contact. Michael wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against him. “"Closer.”" He whispered before taking her lips in a long lingering kiss.
As soon as their lips touched everything else in the world fell away, leaving them entirely focused on each other. Liz moaned as she felt Michael’'s tongue slip between her teeth to play. She sucked on it a little, grabbing his hair in an effort to bring their bodies closer together.
“"Ahem.”" Kyle coughed discretely as he gazed helplessly on the couple.
Michael grew wild as Liz threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling a bit at the ends of it as she pressed her body against his. He was savoring the warm wet feel of her mouth.
“"Uh guys. We’'re right here.”"z Kyle was making a valiant effort to get them to remember that they had an audience.
Isabel watched helplessly the shock of having her suspicions so unequivocally validated rendered her immobile. Finally deciding that they needed a little alien zap to pull themselves apart she aimed a little ray of power at Michael’'s butt. He jumped away from Liz yelping.
“"Hey. Iz, that hurt dammit.”" Michael glared at Isabel.
“"Sorry. But we didn’'t really need to see that. And we tried to get your attention before. I thought poor Kyle was going to cough out a lung or something.”"
"“Right. But you also wanted to know for sure that we were together? That’'s why you brought out here in this pseudo-double date?" Liz spoke up. She really wanted to know how Isabel and Kyle felt about what they had seen. So far neither of them seemed too surprised.
“"Um. Yeah. Wel, we noticed that you two were acting like a couple. And the few times we had shared activities planned we thought you guys made a good couple.”" Kyle replied shrugging.
“"Kyle and I, um we’ve started seriously dating now. And we've talked about how you and Michael make so much sense. Liz, I’'m really happy for you two.
“"I know you remember how unhappy I was when you and Max first got together, and you thought it was because I was afraid you’d take him away from me, but it wasn’t really that. The thing is I always thought you were perfect for Michael.”" Isabel explained.
"“Really?”" asked Michael. “"You thought that?”" he gave Liz a shaky smile. He’'d never expected this kind of response from any of their friends.
“"Yeah. Michael don’'t you guys see it?”"
“"See what?”"
“The way you both glow when you’'re around each other. It’'s always been that way. You two would just look at each other and everyone else in the room felt like they’'d just missed something.”
“"Really?”" repeated Michael, aghast.
"“Yes, really. Destiny, shmestiny, I know who you were meant to be with, and it certainly isn’'t me.”" Isabel said as she enveloped Michael in a hug. When they let go, Kyle was quick to grab hold of her, placing his arms around her waist. “"I'’m where I want to be Michael. Kyle, he knows me the way no one else ever has. He gets me and loves me for it. And I think that you’'ve figured out where it is you wanted to be now. After everything. And it’'s with Liz, right?"
Michael nodded and clasped Liz's hand to his heart. Isabel was right, they'd both found where they belonged and it was clear that they were never meant to be more than friends.
The seriousness of the heartfelt conversation abandoned the group as they threw themselves wholeheartedly into a game of water volleyball, playing until they were exhausted and then languishing in the cool water of the lake while floating in each other’'s arms and enjoying each other’'s company.
check out parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29. read on for part 30...
Part 30
Liz and Michael stood with Isabel on the edge of the lake. The water looked cool and inviting, but Kyle'’s glaring lateness had as yet prevented them from diving into the lake for a refreshing swim. Isabel paced back and forth on the embankment as Liz and Michael watched her without comment.
Michael was sick of waiting. He was also frustrated. He and Liz would have been able to take advantage of the extra time. Just thinking about that had him all hot and bothered. "“Iz. Seriously. There is no reason why we all have to be here to stick to the schedule. It’'s okay to cut loose.”"
“"Michael?”"
“"Yeah?”"
“"Have you ever been camping?"”
"“No. But—“—"
“"Then don’'t say one little word.”" Isabel glared at Michael and resumed her pacing. Grumbling under her breath about the delay. She hated when things went off schedule, even more now than ever.
“"Liz, baby, why did we agree to come?”" Michael whispered in her ear.
"“I think we wanted to take advantage of the situation.”" Liz whispered back grinning.
“"Oh. When do you think we’ll have a chance to do that?”"
"“Hopefully, as soon as Kyle gets his ass over here.”"
Isabel ignored their conversation. She was worried about Kyle. There was simply no reason for him to take this long. Everything had to go according to plan. She’'d been so careful. She couldn't take it if something had happened to him. Not to Kyle. Not after losing Alex.
Michael shrugged off Isabel’'s agitation. He'd been around the Christmas Nazi one time too many to start questioning her now. Except that the idea of Camping Director Nazi was frankly really frightening. Frightening enough for him to be plotting ways to escape the camp with Liz. And a sleeping bag.
Liz, on the other hand, watched Isabel carefully. While she hadn’'t spent that much time with Isabel, especially when in one of her moods, there just didn’'t seem any need for Isabel to be so anal retentive about the schedule. Especially not about watersports. It seemed like she was more preoccupied with Kyle. And Liz couldn’'t help but wonder if she and Michael were the only ones hiding something.
Kyle arrived suddenly, careening down the hill grab a surprised Isabel from behind and twirling her around. Startled into laughter Isabel forgot to be angry with him, instead wrapping her arms around him once they were still. Asking him once he’d set her down, “"What took you so long?”"
"“I couldn’'t figure out your system."” He replied.
"“What do you mean?”"
“"You know, however it is that you organize things. Took me forever to figure out where the hell you put my suit.”"
“"As opposed to the way you organize, Kyle your things were a mess.”"
"“But I know my mess.”" Kyle argued back goodnaturedly.
"“You didn’'t—"—“
“"Take a chill pill Princess, I didn’'t change a thing.”"
Michael and Liz watched as they interacted silently. There was no doubt in their minds that there was something going on between Isabel and Kyle.
Michael looked at the distance between him and Liz and compared it to the lack of distance in the way Kyle and Isabel were standing and decided that the time to do something about it was now.
"“Baby?”" he whispered loudly.
“"Hmm.”"
"“You’'re standing too damn far away again.”"
Liz looked at him and scooted over closer. Michael shook his head.
“"Closer.”"
Liz again scooted this time until their bodies were in complete contact. Michael wrapped his arms around her and brought her flush against him. “"Closer.”" He whispered before taking her lips in a long lingering kiss.
As soon as their lips touched everything else in the world fell away, leaving them entirely focused on each other. Liz moaned as she felt Michael’'s tongue slip between her teeth to play. She sucked on it a little, grabbing his hair in an effort to bring their bodies closer together.
“"Ahem.”" Kyle coughed discretely as he gazed helplessly on the couple.
Michael grew wild as Liz threaded her fingers through his hair, pulling a bit at the ends of it as she pressed her body against his. He was savoring the warm wet feel of her mouth.
“"Uh guys. We’'re right here.”"z Kyle was making a valiant effort to get them to remember that they had an audience.
Isabel watched helplessly the shock of having her suspicions so unequivocally validated rendered her immobile. Finally deciding that they needed a little alien zap to pull themselves apart she aimed a little ray of power at Michael’'s butt. He jumped away from Liz yelping.
“"Hey. Iz, that hurt dammit.”" Michael glared at Isabel.
“"Sorry. But we didn’'t really need to see that. And we tried to get your attention before. I thought poor Kyle was going to cough out a lung or something.”"
"“Right. But you also wanted to know for sure that we were together? That’'s why you brought out here in this pseudo-double date?" Liz spoke up. She really wanted to know how Isabel and Kyle felt about what they had seen. So far neither of them seemed too surprised.
“"Um. Yeah. Wel, we noticed that you two were acting like a couple. And the few times we had shared activities planned we thought you guys made a good couple.”" Kyle replied shrugging.
“"Kyle and I, um we’ve started seriously dating now. And we've talked about how you and Michael make so much sense. Liz, I’'m really happy for you two.
“"I know you remember how unhappy I was when you and Max first got together, and you thought it was because I was afraid you’d take him away from me, but it wasn’t really that. The thing is I always thought you were perfect for Michael.”" Isabel explained.
"“Really?”" asked Michael. “"You thought that?”" he gave Liz a shaky smile. He’'d never expected this kind of response from any of their friends.
“"Yeah. Michael don’'t you guys see it?”"
“"See what?”"
“The way you both glow when you’'re around each other. It’'s always been that way. You two would just look at each other and everyone else in the room felt like they’'d just missed something.”
“"Really?”" repeated Michael, aghast.
"“Yes, really. Destiny, shmestiny, I know who you were meant to be with, and it certainly isn’'t me.”" Isabel said as she enveloped Michael in a hug. When they let go, Kyle was quick to grab hold of her, placing his arms around her waist. “"I'’m where I want to be Michael. Kyle, he knows me the way no one else ever has. He gets me and loves me for it. And I think that you’'ve figured out where it is you wanted to be now. After everything. And it’'s with Liz, right?"
Michael nodded and clasped Liz's hand to his heart. Isabel was right, they'd both found where they belonged and it was clear that they were never meant to be more than friends.
The seriousness of the heartfelt conversation abandoned the group as they threw themselves wholeheartedly into a game of water volleyball, playing until they were exhausted and then languishing in the cool water of the lake while floating in each other’'s arms and enjoying each other’'s company.
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