This Time Around (Michael)

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Eliza had been looking for a better quill for Julius to draw with because his had broken. She'd finally managed to find one along with a picture book about a fictional Quidditch player that she was sure Lexi would appreciate. She was still contemplating getting Julius that camera...she was sure that he'd be good at photography. Maybe that would be his big Christmas present from Eliza and Mikael (who insisted on chipping in on presents to Eliza's niece and nephew). She'd put the idea past her boyfriend later.

She smiled at the thought of her upcoming date with Mikael as she walked out of the quill shop. Though he'd come to her home and been to Brielle's grave, the date they were about to go on was technically their first. She was kind of excited about it...she and Aspen hadn't really gone on dates. He didn't like crowds. The result? A lot of "dates" down by the lake that, in Eliza's mind, didn't count.

She was distracted, so she didn't see the man walking in front of her until it was too late and she'd run into him.

"Oh! I'm sorry, sir," she apologized.

[Micheal Andy Edelstein]

Michael was walking with his head down. He'd only really been looking around to find something to cheer himself and his daughters up. He wanted them to accept him back as their father. He was most of the reason they were alive and they didn't want him. Why couldn't he just be the father they wanted? He had been, till two years ago. He'd been widowed by his wife. Died in Harper's arms. He still couldn't accept she was dead. He'd been fighting it for two years.

He came out of his reverie when someone ran into him. He looked over his shoulder and said, "Hm? Oh sorry, didn't even see ya there, lass." he turned to look at her and almost had a heart attack. Eliza.

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

Eliza kneeled to pick up the bag that she'd dropped when she'd run into the man in front of her and swore nastily in German when she saw that Julius' quill was broken. She'd have to go and get him a new one....stupid daydreams. She hated them, and apparently they didn't like her very much, either.

"Nein, nein, it's my fault," she replied. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

[Micheal Andy Edelstein]

He chuckled, she was how he remembered her. Exactly how he remembered her. He picked up the broken quill, must've been for Julius, why hadn't she asked the younger him to help pay for this stuff? He'd loved buying his neice and nephew things. Well, they weren't related to him yet but they would be in a few years.

He held out the quill and said, "Must've been really important if you're swearing about a quill. Who's it for lassie?"

[Elizabeta Anne Beilschmidt]

She stood and smiled at the man sheepishly. She hadn't figured that he would know she was swearing if she did it in German...oops. Maybe she'd revert to cursing in Russian...on second though, she'd stick with German. She hated Russian. It sounded weird. It was also Russian. Stupid, weird-sounding Communist language...

"I bought it for mein nephew," she explained. "He broke his."