“I’m sorry,” was the first thing that came out of Elijah’s mouth after Tyler‘s heated exit. Liberty, with assistance from Sean, was now sitting on the couch sipping some tea that Christine made for her. Liberty was very shaken and kept looking around as if Tyler would come stomping back in for a retaliation. “I am so sorry, Liberty.”

“For what?” She demanded, “For lying to him? For nearly killing him? Or just an all around type of sorry?” She set her tea down and then dashed up the stairs despite the fact that both Sean and Christine tried to stop her.

Elijah sighed and sank down into one of Christine’s very plush sofas. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her.”

“Something you said or did, I’m sure,” Sean replied cheerfully, taking a step towards the staircase.

“I apologized,” Elijah said pointedly.

“Yeah,” said Sean slowly, turning around to face his friend, “For what, though?”

“For everything,” Elijah said finally, his voice quiet. He glanced at the stairs. “I’m just sorry for whatever the hell I’ve ever said to her.”

“Like when you‘ve lied,” said Sean, holding his hand off and ticking off each item, “Lying to her about your feelings, pretending you’re not madly in love with her---”

“Whoa, whoa,” Elijah cut in, standing up in front of Sean, “I am not madly in love with her.”

“And now you’re lying to me,” Sean said lightly, a small grin on his lips as if he was trying to make the best of this situation despite the fact that it was slowly going downhill. “Don’t do this. Don’t hide, Elijah. She’s going to be gone in a week. So are we, as a matter of fact. You need to sort things out RIGHT NOW. Don’t be like yourself and continue to push girls away…girls who you actually could and do care for. I know you. Apparently better than you know yourself. I can tell you’re into her.”

“So what if I am?” Elijah cried, his face reddening. Christine slunk from the room, wanting to give them time to duke it out on their own. “So what if I can’t stop thinking about her? So what if all I want to do is spend time with her? So what if I want to kill whoever hurts her?” He trailed off, breathing heavily as though he’d just run a marathon.

Sean put a hand on Elijah’s shoulder, which Elijah did not shrug off, “You are such an idiot.” Sean began laughing slightly, shaking his head. Soon Elijah joined in, laughing too. The tension was forgotten, drained away and it was replaced with crazy laughter. Though Elijah wasn’t sure why he was laughing, he knew it felt good to.

A few moments later, the front door opened and Dom and Liv trotted in. Dom looked very apprehensive and Liv was just laughing at the men in front of her. Elijah was nearly crying with mirth, but he stopped abruptly when he saw Dom and Liv.

“Are we interrupting?” Dom asked, smiling slightly.

“No, no,” said Sean, smiling happily, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “We were just sharing a moment.”

“Ahhh,” Liv grinned, “Okay, then.“ She glanced at all three hobbits and sensed they needed to talk in private, “Where’s Christine? I wanted to say hi to her.”

“In the kitchen,” replied Sean, waving his hand in the general direction of the other room. Liv bounced from the room and Sean turned to Dom, “Liberty’s upstairs. I think she’s probably packing.” He nodded toward the stairs. “You wanna go up and stop her? I have a stun gun in my closet if she won’t stop easily.”

Dom looked quite frightened for several seconds before he smiled and strode up the stairs, taking two at a time. He sprinted down the hall and went in the room whose door stood slightly ajar. Inside it was like a hurricane of fashion; Dom stood in the doorway watching with trepidation. Liberty stood in front of the large Beauty and the Beast armoire pulling out shirts, skirts, shoes and other articles of clothing and tossing them behind her. There were heaps of clothes on the bed and next to the bed and Dom fleetingly wondered how she’d packed so much for only two weeks.

He cleared his throat to try and get her attention, but she didn’t hear him through the sound of clothes slicing the air. Dom took a step inside and slowly, with cat-like stealth, made his way around the clothes over to her. Liberty’s whole body tensed when he laid his finger tips on her shoulder.

A pair of purple clogs were clutched in her hands as she turned around, a look of horror on her face. When she recognized Dom, she relaxed considerably and set her shoes on the floor before straightening up and looking at him with doe-like eyes. “Dom,” she whispered, nodding.

“Are you sorting clothes to give to the poor or are you packing? Note that I use the word ‘packing’ loosely because there is nothing in that open suitcase on the bed. There’s plenty of stuff AROUND the suitcase, but definitely not in it. Which is why I hope I’m right in guessing you’re just simply looking for the perfect outfit for our date this evening.” He pulled back from her and sat on the one square of bed which wasn’t covered in garments.

Liberty vaguely gestured towards the empty suitcase, “Um…yeah. I’m just…doing inventory.”

“You’re an awful liar,” he said, grinning. He put his hand out and made a ‘come here’ motion. She took the spot beside him on the bed after pushing over several pairs of underwear. In normal circumstances, she’d have been embarrassed for Dom to see her unmentionables, but she scarcely cared at this moment. Plus, it was just Dom anyway. It’s not like it was Brandon Boyd or something.

“I know,” she whined, putting her head in her hands. He watched as her hair floated around her face, hanging limply. “I freaked out. There is no other explanation for it.”

Dom slid his arm across her shoulders and pulled her gently into him; she didn’t draw away. “What happened down there?” He asked her, his voice soft.

“Oh god,” she moaned into his cotton t-shirt, “It was awful.” Then, just like he’d pressed a button that said, “tell me everything,” her flood gates opened and out poured the entire story of Tyler. She didn’t even ‘forget’ to tell him all of the Tyler woes of olden days.

When she’d finished, he kissed her temple and stood up and crossed the room, “I know how you feel about Elijah,” he blurted out and then felt awful, for he hadn’t meant to mention Elijah.

“I don’t feel anything about Elijah,” she muttered in a monotone voice. “Not anymore. Rebound’s an atrocious term, but it’s the only thing that makes sense.” Liberty shrugged.

“There isn’t another term that makes sense?” Dom prodded, not wanting the answer, but not wanting to refrain from asking. He liked Liberty, a lot, but she liked someone else and he’d rather of seen her sort out her problems than seen her with him, unhappily. “The term ‘fancy’ doesn’t fit in there anywhere? What about ‘crush?’” She shook her head vigorously and he lowered his voice, “What about love, Liberty.” This was not a question, it was a statement. Her head popped up and her brown eyes bore into his. Dom stood in front of her, looking vacant.

“I know what love is, Dom. And this isn’t it.” She sighed deeply and stood up reluctantly, then she crossed the room to stand before him, “I mostly just dislike him right now. I don’t love him.” She put her arms around his waist and stared at him penetratingly.

“You can love someone and not like them at the same time,” Dom said reasonably, taking one arm and putting it around her, resting his hand at the small of her back. The other hand caressed her cheek and smoothed her hair out of her face.

Liberty closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them she saw that Dom was staring at her with something in his eyes she had never seen before. “Dom,” she said, “What I have with Elijah isn’t like what I have with you. You know? I mean, I feel so comfortable with you…and you’re straight with me, I know you are. Elijah…I don’t know. I can’t read him like I can read you.” She pulled away, but his hand shot out and tugged her tenderly back towards him.

“I know you don’t love me,” he whispered. She could feel his breath on her neck, blowing her hair away when he spoke. “I can’t say that I love you either. But I’m intensely attracted to you.”

Liberty parted her lips in a wide smile and the last thing she saw before her eyes drifted shut was the smile on Dom’s lips as they came down upon her own.

His kiss took her breath away. It was filled with emotion that lacked in her brief kisses with Elijah. It was as if he was really feeling something for her, she could nearly feel it radiating off him and falling onto her. Her arms snaked around his neck and one of her hands roamed in his hair before moving him closer to her, deepening in the kiss. Dom’s hands cupped her face gently and the kiss deepened even more.

Suddenly, as if he realized what he’d been doing, he severely pulled himself away and stumbled back against the wall. Liberty, breathing heavily, was watching him looking ashen faced. “We can’t do this!” He gasped, trying to catch his breath. His heart was beating fast and he knew his lips were swollen.

“Why?” Liberty asked him, smoothing out her shirt and glancing around at all the clothes with a tragic look on her face.

“Elijah,” Dom stated simply, “I can’t…we can’t do this to Elijah.”

“Do what?” Liberty wondered, speaking harshly, “It’s not like---alright, I see how it is.” She nodded in finality and began scooping her clothes up and heaping them into her suitcase. By the time Dom caught her wrist with his hand in a gentle, loving motion, she’d made two large mountainous piles; there was no way they‘d fit in that one suitcase but she seemed beyond reason at the moment.

“How it is,” he said calmly, dropping her wrist, “Is that Elijah has feelings for you. I don’t care how you feel about him. I’m one his best friends and I refuse to go with my attraction. I can’t.” Dom didn’t seem to happy with the chivalry he was putting forth, but there was really no other way.

“I’m intensely attracted to you,” Liberty said, her voice cracking, “And Elijah has nothing to do with you and I.”

“You aren’t being truthful to yourself,” Dom stated evenly, “And you’re definitely not being truthful to me. I mean---” he gestured around the room “--I have no doubt you’re attracted to me, if that display means anything…but I also have no doubt you’re attracted to Elijah. I like you far too much to have this love triangle come between the friendships we’ve all formed.” He shrugged in helplessness, “It’s really out of my hands, Libs.” He took a step towards her. “You understand, right?” His voice was gentle, loving and caring and she wanted to sink into the bed from the mere weight of it.

“Yeah,” Liberty replied eventually, “I understand completely. And I’m sorry. I’m acting like a whore.”

Dom chuckled, “No, you’re not. You’re not a whore. You’re just confused. It happens.”

Liberty pursed her lips and watched him for a moment before replying, “I don’t deserve you.” She laughed, sweeping hair out of her eyes.

“Well, maybe not,” Dom responded jokingly, “But I don’t deserve you either.” She nodded at him, seemingly unable to find the words and he began to pull the clothes out of their piles.

“I should sort all of this out, and then pack properly.”

“Pack?” Dom repeated, “Why?”

“Well, I’m not staying here,” she said obviously, brushing hair from her face and picking some jeans up off the floor. “I can’t stay here.”

“You can’t run away either,” he replied sternly.

“I’m not running away,” Liberty stated stubbornly, “I’m quitting while I’m behind.”

*

A small, secluded diner with pastel green vinyl covered booths that squeaked when you moved. Waitresses wearing matching outfits and carrying plastic trays of food on roller blades. A large and colorful jukebox in the corner blaring music from the 70’s. Three hobbits, an elf and a girl.

Liberty placed the paper napkin on her lap carefully; taking all the time in the world in order to avoid the accusing glares, she smoothed it out so it was creaseless. She cleared her throat and looked out the clear glass window at the dimmed parking lot. It was midnight, and they were the only patrons in the restaurant besides a couple in the far corner who were emerged in awkward silence.

The first few bars of John Mayer’s “My Stupid Mouth” rang through Liberty’s mind. It seemed that where she was, at this moment, was the perfect spot for a music video of that very song. She pictured John Mayer sitting atop the spotless counter with his guitar in his lap singing to them about playing chess with the salt and pepper shakers.

Another social casualty she didn’t want to be a part of.

“Talk to us, Liberty,” Sean pleaded, leaning against the tabletop and staring at her with his penetrating gaze. She raised her eyes to meet his, but said nothing. They had driven her here, not totally against her will but not with her being completely in agreement, either. Liberty felt like she was the middle of an intervention, but she wasn’t sure why.

Orlando was fumbling with his fork and knife, offhandedly polishing them with his napkin and inspecting them every so often. He sat squished between Sean and Dom, who was staring at the window at a loss for words. Billy, sitting beside her, was taking random sips of his soda and glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

Liberty leaned on the table in defeat, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Say you’ll stay,” said Dom simply, “We don‘t want you to go.”

Elijah’s picture jumped into her mind and she leaned back in her seat looking wary. When she and Dom had cleaned up her mess, they had descended the stairs to find that Elijah and Liv had left. To where, no one would say. Liberty, for one, didn’t even care. Dom, however, wanted to beat the shit out of Elijah because here he was trying to patch things up while Elijah was off probably getting very intoxicated. Dom didn’t necessarily want to be off getting very intoxicated, but he would have chosen anywhere else to be than at this seedy diner with company who didn’t want to be there either. He didn’t want Liberty to leave, but he didn’t want to be the one to make her stay. It was her prerogative to leave, and he didn’t feel like being the bad guy; especially towards her.

He had a clear visual of Liv and Elijah at that very moment, in some pub that wasn’t too crowded, but wasn’t too empty either. They were sitting in a corner together drinking and talking where they wouldn‘t be bothered by anyone. Elijah was talking about how he’d been an ass and screwed things up with some girl, yet again. Liv was reassuring him that he wasn’t an ass, he just had to figure out what he wanted. He knew what he wanted, he was just too stubborn to admit it. Or maybe, Dom realized, maybe he was just too blind to see what was right in front of him.

“I want to stay,” Liberty said finally, bringing Dom back to the present, “but I can’t keep doing this.”

“Doing what, exactly?” Billy asked in his Scottish brogue. She smiled in spite of herself, just hearing him talk made her grin. Actually, now that she thought about it, whenever Dom or Orlando talked she smiled too. Then there was Elijah, who brought smiles out of her for no viable reason she could discern.

“This,” she gestured around the table, “Being all dramatic and waspish. I’m so freaking stupid.”

“Waspish?” Orlando echoed, “What the bloody hell is waspish? And you are not stupid.”

“Puerile? Infantile? Immature?” Liberty suggested, shrugging while a little smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “To act like a baby?”

“I don’t think that’s the definition of waspish,” Sean commented thoughtfully.

“What is?” Billy wanted to know.

“I don’t have a dictionary on me, Billy,” Sean said, grinning a little. “I don’t carry one around. They’re too heavy.”

“What about a thesaurus?” Billy asked sincerely, “That’ll be of some help, won’t it?”

Sean looked doubtful, “I don’t know.”

“What is another word for thesaurus?” Billy wondered, trying hard not to laugh.

Dom chuckled, “I don’t think there is one. Perhaps you should check the thesaurus.”

Billy cocked his head to the side and stared at Dom quizzically, “I can’t check the thesaurus if it’s ABOUT the thesaurus, can I?”

“I like the word thesaurus,” Orlando pondered seriously. “It’s got a nice dinosaurish feel to it.”

“Dinosaurish isn’t a word,” Dom said. “But I bet the thesaurus has a word that’s LIKE dinosaur.”

“Probably something like fossil,” Liberty stated, shrugging. “And there is no exact word that’s like thesaurus unless you count dictionary or glossary, which I don’t. You can look thesaurus up in the thesaurus and get back to me, though.” She grinned at Billy, who looked slightly confused.

“You have to stay out the entirety of your trip just so you can explain that last sentence to me,” Billy laughed. “Forget about Elijah,” he added.

Orlando sighed heavily and very dramatically, “Just stay.”

“Yeah, all right,” she finally gave in just as the food arrived. Everyone had a hamburger and fries and as they all dug in, Dom smiled at Liberty over the top of his burger in a way that suggested he was quite pleased she’d changed her mind.