lawful_lizzie (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} lawful_lizzie) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} valarlogs,@ 2013-10-12 16:46:00 |
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When: Early Oct
Where: Out for a long lunch
What: Catching up
Rating/Warning: G / none
Status: Complete
Elizabeth was sat a table by the window while she waited for Sam. She had asked that they have lunch at a small cafe a little way away from campus. She had taken to tutoring smaller classes for now while she adapted to her new powers, slowly increasing the numbers to train herself, but she didn’t particularly want to do it in her spare time. It took a lot of energy to do what she was doing, but she was hopeful that soon it would become second nature. Or she’d go crazy.
Sam felt sorry for her best friend, when others had lost the abilities they had gained in the lastest round of craziness Lizzie had gotten stuck with hers. She had no doubt her friend would master her new gift but it would take time and a lot of effort. Sam herself had started making a conscious effort to limit her thoughts but it was pretty hard.
“Lizzie” she called out as she entered the cafe and gave a little wave as she made her way over, “Not been waiting long I hope?” she said as she sat.
“Hey, no, just a minute or two,” Elizabeth smiled as her friend sat down. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine” Sam replied smiling, “How about you? Coping okay?”
“Better I think,” Elizabeth smiled. “It takes a lot of effort when I’m in a big crowd to shut everyone out and classes are...intense right now. I’ve been relying on my TA, Margaery a lot for the last few weeks,” she admitted guiltily. “And I’ve not really explained why yet.”
“That explains the gift basket that came to the apartment this morning” Sam replied, not aware of the one Elizabeth had already received the previous week, “I thought it was a little odd, full of medicines and tissues and that sort of thing. Have you been telling her you’re ill?” she asked, somewhat amused at it all though she was trying not to show it.
“Yes…” Elizabeth groaned as she hid her face in her hands. “It’s not something you can just tell someone; ‘Hey Margaery, sorry I can’t take class today but I suddenly became telepathic overnight’.”
“Well at least it’d be honest and possibly not the craziest thing she’s heard” Sam said, before looking at Lizzie with an apologetic smile, “You’re going to have to tell her something soon”
“I know,” Elizabeth sighed, folding her arms on the table. “Not least so we don’t end up over-run with gift baskets,” she joked. She couldn’t believe the generosity of the girl and it hadn’t been fair to not tell her the truth, but it was weird and she wasn’t quite clear on what was happening her to be honest.
Sam laughed, “At least our medicine cabinet is fully stocked now. That was quite handy” she teased before growing serious, “But yes, I know it’s still a little scary but you need to tell those who really do need to know Lizzie”
“I will, I’ll call her and see when she’s free for a meeting when I get home,” Elizabeth nodded as the waitress came over to take their order. After she’d gone, Elizabeth turned back to their conversation. “How do I tell her something like that? I don’t want her to...freak out or anything,” she told Sam, fiddling with her napkin.
“She doesn’t seem like the kind of girl to ‘freak out’” Sam told her, “Just explain it simply and let her ask any questions she has. You’ll be fine, I know you will. And it’ll be good practice at telling people”
“This kind of thing isn’t natural, so it’s only logical that people might react badly to being told about it,” Elizabeth shrugged. “But Margaery’s got a good head on her shoulders, I just need to trust she can handle this sort of thing,” she smiled. The idea of telling people still scared her. She’d had a couple of people react badly when her power manifested itself at inopportune times, but the people she loved and trusted the most had reacted well. She could only hope that would continue.
“A lot of things that happen around here aren’t natural” Sam gently reminded her, “Just remember that you didn’t chose this, so nobody should lay blame at your door” It had taken some adjusting but Sam knew it was worse for Lizzie so, even though it was frustrating at times to have somebody read your mind, Sam tried to remember it was ten times worse for her friend.
“That’s true,” Elizabeth laughed as their food arrived. “You know, after all the craziness that’s happened around here, normal people would probably have moved away by now,” she pointed out as she picked up her knife and fork.
Sam picked up her sandwich and nodded, “I should think so. I can’t imagine you’d last around here long if you were too normal” she grinned as she took a bite.
“And no-one’s ever accused us of being ‘normal’,” Elizabeth joked. “I mean look at our dreams! Floating cities and aliens? Who’d have called that?”
“You know I always thought, when we first learnt about the dreams, that I’d have very boring ones” Sam mused, “I have to say I quite enjoy them now. They’re far more exciting than I could have ever imagined”
“Agreed, although I do find the Wraith a particularly disturbing species,” Elizabeth told her, tucking into her salad.
“More disturbing than the goauld I think. Sometimes I find them too silly to take seriously” she admitted, some of the things that SG-1 got up to were just ridiculous. “The Ori are a lot more disturbing. Bit like really evil evangelists”
“Let’s see...alien’s with glowing eyes, space vampires and devout evangelists...yep, we’re definitely not normal,” Elizabeth laughed.
"And thank god for that" Sam grinned as she took another bite from her sandwich.
“Indeed,” Elizabeth grinned. “Other people’s lives must be so boring,” she commented. “I had another one the other day. The expedition was stranded in Atlantis after we arrived, but we discovered a planet covered in mist that seemed to have the energy to sustain a wormhole to Earth. We all thought we’d got home, but then General Hammond said we couldn’t get back, and I tried so hard to figure out a way. Eventually it became obvious that there was something else going on,” she shook her head. “Turns out there were aliens in the mist of the original planet we’d visited and they had knocked us out to stop us using the Stargate. Hundreds of them died every time it was activated it seemed, so we had to promise to go back to Atlantis and never return. Telling the expedition about the deal was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she grimaced a little.
“Oh my goodness” Sam said, “That does sound hard. I’m kind of glad I’m not the one who has to make the tough calls. Most of the time it’s O’Neill or Hammond”
“I remember Jack,” Elizabeth smiled. “He was an interesting one, have you dreamt anything else about him?”
Sam blushed at that question, she'd had a few dreams about him just not always Dreams some were more fantasies although she was pretty sure the other Sam had similar ones. "Well he is the leader of my team so a lot of my dreams involve him"
“Uh huh,” Elizabeth grinned as she caught Sam’s blush. “And quite the silver fox,” she replied innocently as she looked down at her plate to spear some salad on her fork.
“Are you reading my mind?” Sam asked, face reddening even more, “Because if you are you need to stop now. Maybe we need some rules” she mused.
“I haven’t read your mind from the moment you walked in,” Elizabeth laughed, watching Sam blush even harder. “I’m a woman who has eyes, I like an older man too,” she winked and reached for her glass to take a sip..
Sam groaned, "At least yours is real" she muttered, "Well done on the control" she added with a weak smile.
“Oh Sam, we need to get you out there, I worry about you,” Elizabeth put her glass down. “Thanks, I’ve been really pushing myself to get it under wraps. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could maybe teach me some equations or something to help me keep a focus for it,” she explained.
"You worry about me. I worry about me" she joked before nodding, "Sure I can do that"
“Saaaaam,” Elizabeth whined, reaching across the table to take her hand in her own. “I know! You should come with me and Leonard to the Stark Halloween party at the end of the month! We can get all dressed up, drink, dance and mingle,” she suggested. “You never know, you might meet someone interesting. And if not, then no harm, no foul,” she shrugged with a smile.
"I have no intention of being a third wheel to you two" Sam informed her, "But have a lovely time"
“You wouldn’t be,” Elizabeth reassured her. “Please say you’ll come! It’s all free food and drink, no expense spared and let’s face it, it’s better than sitting at home doing nothing. It’s a Stark Industries party, nearly everyone there is going to be approaching your level of genius so there’ll be plenty of people to swap theories with and I can introduce you to my friend Pepper, she knows all the top brains in the company,” she encouraged, trying to gently persuade her friend.
Sam sighed, “You’re going to bug me endlessly about this until I say yes aren’t you?” she said, resigned to her fate, “Fine, I’ll go but you need to help me find a costume”
"You know me far too well," Elizabeth grinned. "Deal, we can go out this weekend if you like? Got any Halloween favourites you like the idea of dressing up as?"
“That’s perfect actually” Sam nodded, “And I have no clue whatsoever but I’m sure there will be something around. I don’t want to be shopping all day”
"We'll google it when we get home, see what shops are around and what sort of things they sell," Elizabeth suggested. "Maybe get you in some Air Force blues," she winked, finishing off her tuna salad.
“Oh god, no” Sam said, “Nothing that will remind me of the dreams. Not when I’m supposed to be getting out and about and meeting people”
"Really?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "There's not much more attractive than a man in a uniform," she commented, thinking back to seeing John Sheppard in uniform. "And that's coming from someone who dislikes the military intensely," she joked.
“Be that as it may I’d be a woman in a uniform” Sam replied pointedly, “And no, it’d just be too weird”
"Alright, alright," Elizabeth laughed and held up her hands. "I won't push it, but have a think about what you'd like to be," she suggested. "I think I'll be...Wonder Woman maybe," she chuckled, finishing off her drink.
“I’ll have a think” she promised, “Wonder woman works for you” she nodded with a grin, “You could always put Leonard into a uniform”
Elizabeth went to reply before stopping to imagine Leonard in dress blues. She wasn’t sure they’d ever get out of the house if she were honest. Leonard in an outfit with those clean lines, long legs, fitted jacket...she could only
“Okay, okay. Projecting, enough with the projecting” Sam said her tone urgent and she shook her head, “Dear lord Elizabeth”
Elizabeth blushed bright red and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh god, I’m sorry!” she apologised, wafting her hand in front of her face to try and cool her blush.
“That’s okay. I’m not sure I’ll be able to look the good doctor in the face again. Or anywhere else for that matter but there we are” she teased a little, enjoying getting her own back somewhat.
Elizabeth bit her lower lip and glanced down at the table as she recovered herself. “He’s very nice to look at,” she defended cheekily. “All over,” she grinned.
Sam rolled her eyes, “Yes, well I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t want me looking at him like that” she smiled.
“True,” Elizabeth conceded with a grin. “He’s all mine,” she said proudly. “Well, and Joanna’s obviously,” she shrugged.
“As he should be” Sam agreed before sighing as she looked at her watch, “I need to get back I have a class in half an hour” she said reluctantly.
“Wow, that went quickly,” Elizabeth commented, looking at her own watch. “I suppose I should make a move too, I’ve got some grading to do before a class this afternoon. See you at home tonight? Want to order in Chinese while we google costumes?” she suggested as they started to rise from the table.
“Perfect idea” Sam nodded as they stood, “And make sure you take it easy with these classes” she added.
“Yes mom,” Elizabeth grinned.