Title: Never Would Have Imagined (1/1): Story 16 in the "Who I Am, What I'll Become" Series
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Liz, Max, Tess, Maria, Alex, Kyle, Isabel and Michael all belong to Melinda Metz and Jason Katims. Cordelia and Angel and Wesley and Dennis belong to Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. I'm not making money so please don't sue.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: All of first season "Roswell," all of first season "Angel" and up through "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" of second; and the first 15 stories in this series.
Timeline: Takes place the day after "The Ends of the Earth."
Summary: Liz and Cordelia chat on the phone.
Distribution: Anyone with previous permission may take it without asking. Anyone else just let me know the link. Its permenant home is at the "Who I Am" site: www.geocities.com/angel_roswell/whoiam.html.
Category: Story/crossover
Subcategories: Friendship
Feedback: Is always appreciated.
Dedication: To everyone who's been patiently waiting for the next story in this series.
Author's Note: This fic is short. Probably the shortest fic I've written...well, ever. And it's not what I originally planned on writing about, but I couldn't get the characters to cooperate. Sorry it's taken so long to get this out. Life's been hectic.
Never Would Have Imagined
Liz Parker sat curled up in her lawn chair on her roof, gazing up at the stars. "We're in the middle of a heatwave here. It's like...I don't know. A hundred and two degrees or something."
"We've got six inches of snow on the ground," Cordelia said. "It started last night. I can't hardly believe it. I never would have imagined that it would snow here in L.A. and actually stick."
Liz cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment. "I've never seen real snow. We're too far south. I didn't realize it ever snowed in California, either."
"It's a pretty rare occasion. Everyone here's afraid to leave their homes. They don't know how to drive in the weather."
She grinned.
"Unless you have a horse and carriage, that is."
"A horse and carriage?"
"Yeah. Which is what Angel and I rode to dinner in last night."
Liz raised an eyebrow. "All right. Details. Because the last time we talked, you and Angel were barely speaking."
There was a moment of silence. "It's a long story actually." Cordelia's voice dropped. "I'm kind of in trouble."
"In trouble?" she repeated worriedly.
"It's fine. Angel's living here again."
"So what happened?" she asked in concern. She thought about the brief conversation she'd had with Angel the previous night. He'd mentioned that Cordelia was going through some stuff, but wouldn't elaborate.
"It's...hard to explain. But I'm okay." There was another brief pause. "How's Max?"
Liz took a deep breath. "A bit stressed out, actually."
"Uh-oh. Would this be Tess-related?"
"Actually, no. Not exactly. But it is of Czechaslavkian origin."
"But everything's okay?"
Liz was touched by the concern in her voice. "Yeah. For now." She sighed slightly, wishing that they could talk without worrying about who else might be listening.
"I wish we could come down for your New Year's party," Cordelia said, echoing Liz with a sigh of her own.
Liz's face stretched into a grin and for a fleeting moment, she considered telling Cordelia that her wish would be granted. But she had promised Angel she wouldn't say anything; he wanted to surprise her with the trip. And she wouldn't break that promise. "Well, maybe some other time you can come visit."
"Yeah, maybe."
She was about to say something else when she heard a beep on the line. "Oh, hang on, Cordelia. I have a call on the other line."
"Sure."
Liz hit the 'ON' button on her portable phone. "Hello?"
"Liz?" an uncertain voice asked.
"Yeah?"
"This is Tess."
Liz blinked. "Oh. Hi, Tess. What's up?"
"I need a favor."
She hesitated. "What kind of favor?"
"Well...I want to get Kyle and Sheriff Valenti something special for Christmas...you know, because they've been so nice to me and everything, and...I have no idea what to get them. I was kind of hoping you'd be up for a trip to the mall tomorrow morning?" Tess asked.
Liz could hear the nervous undercurrent carried in Tess' voice. "Sure. What time?" she asked warmly.
"How's 10 a.m.?"
"Sounds great. I'll pick you up, okay?"
"Thank you!"
"You're welcome. Goodnight, Tess."
"'Night, Liz."
Smiling, Liz clicked over to the other line again. "Cordelia?"
"I'm here."
"Sorry. Tess just called me."
"What?"
"She asked me to go shopping with her tomorrow to help her pick out a gift for the Valenti's."
"And you said yes?"
"Yep."
"This is Tess Harding we're talking about? The girl who's trying to steal Max away from you?" Cordelia asked dubiously.
"See the thing is...she's not. Not anymore. Tess has had a tough life. She doesn't have any real family and she just wants to fit in. She's not so bad once you get to know her."
There was another moment of silence on Cordelia's end. "It's good to know that there are accepting people out there. I'm sure you're right. She probably could use a family," her friend said quietly.
"It's funny. A few months ago we practically hated each other. And now...now we're actually starting to become friends, you know? And that's something...I mean, never in a million years would I *ever* have imagined that I'd actually be friends with her." Liz smiled again as she stared up at the sky. "She's one of us now."
"Yeah," Cordelia echoed. "Liz?"
"Hmm?"
"There's something I need to do. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this short, okay?"
"Okay. Is everything all right?"
"Yeah...you just made me realize something, that's all. Listen, if I don't talk to you again before then, you have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, okay?"
"You, too. Take care."
"Ditto. Bye, Liz."
"Bye, Cordelia."
Liz hung up the phone and stared up at the V-shaped constellation overhead. She wondered if anyone up there was watching them, watching over the four that had been sent to Earth. She didn't know. But she was very grateful for the gifts.
The End