When I first started reading the spoilers for what season three was to become, I was fairly disgusted and thought I'd see if I could come up with anything better. This was the final result.
Edited to say: Sorry! Forgot all about the disclaimer. These are all Melinda Metz's toys, I'm just playing in her sandbox.
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Chapter One.
“It’s December 10th, and I can’t believe I’m actually putting this down in a journal,
considering what happened the last time anyone tried keeping a record of what
was going on with our lives.
I can only hope that putting things down on paper will help it to make more sense - as though writing it all down will make it any more real for us all.
Ever since our final confrontation with Tess in the pod chamber, her last words have been haunting me - I used to think I could trust my judgment of people, and the idea that someone could turn out to so completely blind us all to who she really was scares me.
What is even scarier is that what has me writing this down is a guy – and we all know what my record has been like so far. Still, who knows – maybe this time it really will be
third time lucky.
It was almost three weeks ago, but I remember it like it just happened yesterday.
We were in the Crashdown, having the Saturday lunch special when he walked in.
The first thing I noticed was his size – though it was hard to miss. He almost had
to duck to get in the door! He slipped his glasses off and dropped them into his
pocket, then moved over to the counter and took a seat on one of the stools. The
thing was, we were all so busy looking, it took a minute before it occurred to
anyone that he might actually like to get some service…
“Hi, my name’s Maria, welcome to the Crashdown. Today’s…”
“Why thank you Maria, it’s a real pleasure to be here.”
The look on Maria’s face was priceless – you could tell she isn’t the type to
respond well to being interrupted. And judging from the twinkle in his
eyes and the almost, but not quite, hidden smile on his face, he was enjoying
it more and more the longer it took Maria to react.
“Uh, yeah. Anyway, here’s a menu you can look at, and our specials are up on the main
board just there. So take a minute to think it over, and once you’ve made a choice, just
give me a yell, okay?”
“Well, to be honest, I’m not too hungry, but you might still be able to help me out. I’m
after some information on a local, and I was told I might find her here.”
“Well, I’ll do what I can, but I can’t guarantee anything. What’s her name?”
“Liz Parker.”
As soon as he said that, I looked straight at Max. Given how protective he is of all of us
in general, and Liz in particular, he seemed like he was getting ready to jump on the guy
if he so much as breathed the wrong way.
“Uuh… just a sec, I’ll check and see if she’s available.”
“Thanks.”
Although Maria and I haven’t been the closest of friends, I couldn’t help but sympathize
with what she was muttering to herself as she headed out the back.
“Figures a guy that good is here looking for Parker. I swear, that girl should…”
The door closing behind her kept me from hearing exactly what it was Liz should be
doing , which was a good thing, because I was fighting to keep the grin off my face as it was. I glanced back in the stranger’s direction and saw him tapping his thumbs on the counter to some beat playing in his head. He seemed the type who was sure of himself, with a quiet confidence, but not in an arrogant way. Any further musings were quickly interrupted though, as I saw Max tense up half a second before Liz walked through the door.
Almost as if she could tell what we were both thinking, Liz softly smiled and dropped her hand on to Max’s shoulder as she walked past. As she moved towards the counter, the guy sitting there looked her up and down once, as if searching for the right words to say to her.
“Hi, I’m Liz Parker. Is there something I can help you with?”
“That depends. Any objections to me helping myself?”
“Excuse me? Do I know you?”
“Geez Sprog, I know it’s been a while but c’mon.”
“Sprog?” She said uncertainly. “I haven’t heard that in years, since the last time I saw….” Then realization hit her like a thunderbolt. “Oh my…. It can’t be. No way.”
He slid to his feet with his arms open, a low warm chuckle and a grin slowly spreading across his face.
“Funny, I heard the doctors said the same thing when I was born.”
“NATHAN!” She yelled, laughing loudly and throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh man, it’s so good to see you!! When did you get here??”
“Umm, let’s see. Well, allowing for differing time zones, biological clocks and the whole daylight saving time thing, I’d say about…. 30 minutes ago.”
She slapped him playfully on the arm. “Very funny. Still the joker, eh? I guess some things never change.”
“Yeah, well, why mess with perfection, y’know?” He replied, with a raised eyebrow.
“Fair enough. Hey, have you had any lunch?”
“Nah, I’ve just been munching on the way in. You’d be surprised how far a body can get on a stomach full of coke and corn chips.”
“Eeww… Okay, that’s it – grab a seat in the corner, and I’ll get a lunch special together for you.”
“But…”
“Don’t even think about giving me any buts. It’s been too long since I saw you last as it is, so we aren’t going to waste time arguing the point. Are we, Toad?” Liz said, a cheeky grin of her own spread from ear to ear.
Nathan held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, you got me.” Another chuckle. “You’d think with four sisters, I’d have learnt my lesson about trying to argue with a Parker woman.”
Liz poked her finger into his chest. “And don’t you ever forget it either, bud. Now go sit down, and I’ll get some food organized. Oh, and Nate… it’s good to see you again.”
“Yeah, I know.” He held her gaze for a few long seconds, then as she turned away, he called her softly again. “Liz?”
“Yeah?”
His face softened, and the cockiness faded, but the emotions were still easy to see just below the surface.
“It’s good to see you too.”
“Yeah, I know.” They smiled one more time, then Liz turned and headed for the kitchen as Nathan settled into a booth by himself. He steepled his fingers together and rested his chin on his thumbs, with his fingers touching his lips.
“I’ll be right back.” Max got up from his seat and headed towards the door, no doubt to give Liz the third degree – which, of course, ALWAYS works so well when dealing with Liz Parker. I guess Max hadn’t quite picked up the lesson Nathan had spoken of – at least, not yet anyway…
“…and make sure there’s plenty of onion, okay Michael?”
“Yeah, okay Liz, I got the point the first time.”
She turned around to head back out the front, only to find Max standing right behind her.
“Oh, Max! I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“Yeah, I noticed you were a bit… distracted. Do you have a minute?”
“Uum… not really… I need to catch up with Nathan. I’ll talk to you later, okay?” she called out over her shoulder as she headed out the door, leaving Max standing there.
“Yeah, sure Liz…. No worries.” He looked up at Michael, who simply shrugged his shoulders. “Pfft. Chicks.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Any time, Maxwell.”
well gee guys, how can I hold back after a welcome like that?? I just have to be careful, because I'd love to post it all in one hit for you guys to see, but then I'd have nothing to keep you all busy while I work on a prequel. 
-mas: