Liz Walker POV
Down the street, the three humans walked with their bikes. It would have been easier if Liz teleported them to their homes, but she didn't want to spook them after everything that happened tonight. It's been a long day for everyone. Despite this, Liz remains guarded during their walk.
"Oh, what have I gotten myself into?" Jim says, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Um...trolls, cool underground city, indigenous gemforms, Heartstone?" Toby listed excitedly and nudged his friend. "What you've gotten yourself into is total awesome-mania, man!"
"If I survive." Jim points out.
"Come on! You're going to get trained by the best. " Toby says, gesturing to Liz walking behind them. "Liz and Blinky is --"
Jim interjected. "His last guy got torn limb from limb...on his first night!"
"Hey, at least you got a butt-kicking guardian angel to defend you." Toby points out. Then a thought came to mind, looking over his shoulder at said guardian angel. "Speaking of guardian angels, Liz, how did you become the Guardian in the first place? And how were you able to be accepted by trolls as a human? They seem alright with you."
"It's a long story. But long story short, I was rescued by Kanjigar from a car crash caused by Bular ten years ago. He brought me into Heartstone Trollmarket and raised me there. It was hard at first, of course, since trolls were not used to a human living among them, but eventually, I gained their acceptance. More so, after I was chosen as Guardian and they came to respect me as their protector. Since then, I've been training and fighting alongside Kanjigar until I was sent out to investigate a Heartstone growing in New Jersey. I was living there for the past two years until I came back to Arcadia." Liz casually explains.
"Wow, sounds like you went through a lot," Jim says, silently telling himself that it was no longer a coincidence that Liz could be who he thinks she is. His long-lost childhood friend, Lizzie. She has to be. He was sure of it. "What was your life before you were rescued by Kanjigar?"
Liz brows furrowed at the question, having been wondering herself about that for years. "To be honest, I can't remember my time before the crash. It's like...a blur to me. I think I had dreams about them, but I always end up not remembering most of them. Only bits and pieces."
Jim's heart sunk at her response. No wonder she never recognized him and his mom. She is an amnesiac. There has to be a way to get her to remember her past. He has to. But how?
"What do you remember--" Jim begins to ask, but Toby interrupts him, noticing Barbara's parked car. "Oh, no! Looks like your mom's home."
Immediately, Toby thinks of a plausible excuse. "Okay, quick, I was bike-jacked by three--no, make it seven--members of the Bratva. That's the Russian mob. And then, you broke into their hideout to try to save me--"
"Or I could tell her your bike got hit by a car, but you're totally fine," Jim suggests. Thinking about it, Toby nods. "That works, too, I guess."
"Night, Tobes," Jim says as Liz says her goodbye as well. "Good night, Toby."
"Night, you two. See you guys tomorrow!" Toby replies, waving goodbye as he walks towards the familiar green house across the street. So Toby lives there. But why does that house seem so familiar to her?
"Liz?" Jim calls out to her. She turns her head away from the house toward Jim. "Yeah?"
Jim rubs the back of his neck. "Thanks for, uh, saving me back there with Bular. I would have been a goner if it wasn't for you."
Liz nods. "You're welcome. But next time, when I tell you to run, you run, okay? Not because you can't handle it, but it's for your own safety. Once you have some training, then I'll trust you to face Bular. With me by your side, of course. But until then, you need to focus on your training and follow what I say. Understood?"
"Yes, sir! I mean, ma'am!" Jim salutes, making Liz chuckle and shake her head. Turning her bike around, she begins to climb onto her motorbike to drive her way back to Trollmarket but pauses in her seat when Jim calls out to her. "Liz!"
Quirking an eyebrow, Liz looks over her shoulder. "Yes, Jim?"
Scratching the back of his head, Jim begins to stammer nervously. "Um...I--Do you--Do you want to, uh, come over and eat dinner at my place? I--I remember I still owe you one."
Liz blinks and burst into chuckles, shielding her laughter behind the back of her hand. "Sure. I could never say no to food, but I am surprised you remembered."
Jim shrugs, grinning shyly. "Couldn't forget it."
He leads her to the garage, parking their bikes there, before heading to the front door. Entering, they see Barbara in the kitchen as the sounds of dish clattering and water running greet them. Suddenly, Liz felt her phone vibrate in her jacket pocket. She was about to reach in for it but got distracted when Barbara called for her son. "Jim, I'm in the kitchen!"
Jim gulps nervously, hanging his bag over the banister before gesturing for Liz to follow him towards the kitchen. "Hey, Mom. Oh, man. You would not believe what happened on the way home from--"
"Look who stopped by," Barbara mentions as Strickler appears in their line of vision, sitting by the serving hatch. The teachers greet them. "Hello, Jim. Oh, you brought a guest. Hello there, Liz."
"Mr. Strickler." Jim and Liz greeted him back, surprised to see their teacher. What's he doing here?
"Oh! I didn't know you were bringing Liz over, but perfect timing! I was just cooking dinner. Mr. Strickler came by to congratulate you." Barbara says, setting out teacups on the counter table.
"Oh, that's really...nice," Jim says, wondering why Strickler would come by his home for that. Unaware, Liz was thinking the same thing. The student-teacher duo must be closer than she thought.
"It's a great honor that you've been chosen to wield this mantle. I've no doubt that you'll prove equal to the task." Strickler states. This made Liz quirk an eyebrow, feeling tense with suspicion. Okay, is it just her, or does this sound like he knows something about the amulet? But that can't be possible. No other human knows. Right?
"Of?" Jim questions.
"Why didn't you tell me you were trying out for Romeo and Juliet?" Barbara asks, pouring tea. Liz mentally facepalmed. Ohhh, that makes sense. She forgot about that.
"Maybe we could back up a few steps?" Jim requests, still confused, while Liz gradually relaxes, understanding what the two adults mean.
"Jim, surely you knew you'd won the part of Romeo after your breathtaking audition yesterday." Strickler clarifies.
"Yeah, after the audition, I had to run, but-- Wait, I got the part?" Confused at first, Jim was surprised.
"That's great news! Congrats, Jim." Liz pats Jim on the shoulder, smiling. Jim slightly blushes, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks."
"Indeed, Jim," Strickler confirms before turning his towards Liz. "Including you, Miss Walker."
Now it was Liz's turn to be surprised, her eyes widened and pointed to herself. "Me?"
The teacher nods. "Yes, you have been chosen for the role of Juliet. It seems that both of you will be working together from now on."
"Congratulations, Liz!" Barbara smiles. "I can't wait to see you both perform on stage."
"As do I, but as for you, Jim, I must say I was just remarking to your mother that I'm a touch concerned about your being spread so thin, particularly in light of your new commitment to the chess club," Strickler says, before sipping his tea. Immediately, he chokes, grimacing at the taste. Liz quirks an eyebrow at what he said. Chess club? Interesting. She never knew he played chess. Then again, she hardly knows anything about Jim other than him being the Trollhunter. Guess she has to get to know him more to better prepare him to be one.
"And I didn't even think you knew how to play chess. Chess, acting...It's like you have this entire secret life I know nothing about." Barbara laughs. Jim glances at Liz with a knowing look before grinning. "You have no idea."
"Atlas, too, carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I'm concerned, like him, you're overextending yourself." Strickler remarks in concern for his student.
"I can handle it," Jim reassures, leaning his hand on the dining table beside him.
Strickler highly doubts it. "A few days ago, you were falling asleep in class."
"Wait, what?" Surprised to hear that, Barbara accidentally overpours her cup, making her gasp. Liz was surprised as well, but for different reasons. In concern for his training and wellbeing, she'll have to clarify with Jim on it later. Another thing to work on, Liz added. It seems her list of things to do steadily growing with no sign of stopping.
"Yeah, but-but-but now I am recharged and ready to go..." Jim says, pounding the table and making the vase fall off. He tries to catch it, but with quick reflexes, Liz catches it before handing it to Jim. Doesn't seem like it.
"To be or not to be." Right?" Jim chuckles, trying to cover up, but Liz knew that he was far from "recharged." On the contrary, he's absolutely overwhelmed.
The two adults look at Jim with similar doubts. Barbara corrects her son. "Jim, that's Hamlet."
"Thanks." Refusing another serving from Barbara, Strickler stands up, bringing out a post-it note and pen and writing on it before handing out the slip to Barbara. "I don't want to overstay my welcome. My phone, Mrs. Lake."
"Please, call me Barbara." Barbara corrects, taking the slip. Like a gentleman, Strickler kisses her hand. "Barbara. Delighted to meet you."
Liz smirks at the action, not missing anything. He definitely has a thing for Barbara. Maybe that's why he came over.
Strickler makes his way past them to the front door, leaving as Liz and Jim watch him from behind.
"He really likes you." Barbara points out to her son. Liz chuckles mentally to herself. More so with you, Barbara.
"Yeah." Jim half-heartedly agrees.
"I've never seen a teacher take such an interest before." Barbara began cleaning up. "And he has a point. There are only so many hours in the day, Jim."
After cleaning up, Barbara glances at Liz, waving her over. "Liz, would you mind watching the cooking over here? I need to talk to Jim for a minute."
"No problem." Liz went inside the kitchen as Barbara thanked her, leaving her in the kitchen to talk to Jim. Despite keeping an eye on the cooking, she couldn't help herself but listen in.
"If your grades slip, even a little, I'm going to insist you cut back, starting with the things you do for me," Barbara says in a warning tone.
"I like taking care of you," Jim admits, making Liz smile warmly. That's cute.
"Except that it's my job to take care of you," Barbara says.
"Do you know when I was old enough to ask about Dad, remember what you told me? You said, "We just have to take care of each other," That's all I'm doing, Mom." Jim explains, surprising Liz as she contemplates what she just overheard. It seems that Jim's father - James Lake Sr. - has been out of the family picture for a long time. Despite that, both Jim and Barbara love and care for each other deeply.
Liz smiles warmly at the thought but then gradually fades, thinking about her birth parents. She couldn't even remember their faces nor their names. She often tries to remember them, but every attempt leads to a sharp pain piercing through her skull.
Suddenly, Liz sensed something was off. Her hair stood up in the back of her neck, feeling as though eyes were watching her. She turns to the kitchen window but sees nothing in the darkness. She walks closer to the window, peering through and squinting through the shadows of night, the hair-raising feeling not going away. Before she could see anything, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Immediately, she reacted by grabbing the wrist of the hand firmly and turning around.
"Whoa!" Jim yelps, trying to pull his hand from her grip, but she holds still. Realizing it was just Jim, she let go. "Sorry about that."
Jim rubs at his wrist, looking at Liz in concern. "You okay, Liz? What's wrong?"
"I thought I--" Liz began, but shakes her head, not wanting to scare Jim any further than he already was. He would freak out if he knew that someone was watching them from outside. Better keep it myself. "Nothing. I'm starving."
"Me too!" Barbara comes in, shuffling through the cabinets. "I'll go set the table up. Jim, can you taste my cooking and see what you think? I think I did better than last time."
Jim nods. "Sure thing, Mom."
As he approaches the stove, Barbara collects the tableware and leaves the kitchen. Once she is gone, Jim whispers to Liz as he grabs a spoon. "I have to warn you, Mom has absolutely no talent for cooking."
Liz's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah. Mom would have you taste it, but I'd rather you not." Jim chuckles, bringing a spoonful into his mouth. Taking a bite, Jim immediately grimaces and gags at the taste. "See what I mean?"
Liz tries to hide her laugh behind her hand. Naturally, Jim went ahead, attempting to fix his mother's cooking. She watches him do so, impressed by his skill. The next thing she knew, Jim was holding out a filled spoon in front of her face. "Give it a try. It tastes better, I promise."
Without being told twice, Liz went for it and tasted it. She could never deny food, even a taste.
The flavors burst in her mouth, making her eyes widen in surprise. "Wow!"
Jim flashes a grin, happy to see her amazed expression. "Like it?"
"Like it? Are you kidding? I love it! This is incredible. Gosh, if I could, I would come by every day just to eat." Liz exclaims, trying to stop herself from stealing another bite. Jim beams with pride, hearing her say that.
"Hey, you two." Barbara walks in. "So, how was it?"
The two glanced at each other with a knowing look before Liz spoke up. "Tastes delicious."
"Really?" Barbara grabs herself a spoon and has a taste herself. Her face brightens. "You know, you're right. That's actually pretty delicious. Well then, why don't you two wash up upstairs while I get dinner ready."
"'K, Mom." Jim complies, gesturing to Liz to follow him despite her knowing the layout of the house already since her last "visit." After washing up, they head back down and see the food waiting for them on the dining table.
After dinner, as expected from Liz, Barbara began her list of questions, wanting to get to know the teenager more. "So, Liz, you were raised in New Jersey?"
Having a background story already in mind, Liz answered promptly. "Actually, I was born here in Arcadia, but after my parents passed away, I was adopted and moved to New Jersey."
"Oh, no. I'm so sorry to hear that." Barbara apologizes.
"Thank you. It was a long time ago. I was five--almost six when they died from a car accident. I was the only survivor at the time." Liz says, her heart clenched a little at the thought as she gazes down at the table.
Unnoticed by Liz, Barbara and Jim glance at one another, both having the same thought cross their minds about who Liz could actually be before eyeing their guest, seeing her differently than a second ago with more familiarity.
"If you don't mind me asking, do you remember your parents' names?" Barbara asks cautiously.
Frowning, Liz continues to stare down at the table. "I-I don't remember. I lost my memories after the accident. The only thing that I could remember was my name and age."
Saddened this hear this, Barbara glances at her son, seeing sadness and disappointment expressed on his face before turning back to Liz. "It must have been difficult for you."
"Yeah." Liz nodded. Immediately her mind flashed with the faces of the trolls she considered family. To the Lakes' surprise, she began smiling softly. "But it got easier after I was adopted. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here, and for that, I'm grateful."
The Lakes could only smile at that, though Jim knew the real story behind it. Barbara continues to interview Liz with Jim asking a question or two as both want to get to know whom they assumed to be their long-lost family friend. They learned that she has an athletic and creative side. From what they gathered, she trained in martial arts and archery, plays the piano and violin, and sometimes draws and paints. To their amazement, they also learn that she can also speak a few other languages, including Spanish.
"Wow, could you help me with Spanish? I have a Spanish comprehensive exam coming up soon, and I'm taking it with Señor Uhl. He can be unforgiving sometimes if he doesn't see us improve." Jim asks, placing his hands in a begging manner, hoping Liz agrees.
"Claro, no hay problema." Liz nods, making Jim beam happily. "Yes! Thank-I mean--Gracias, Liz."
Liz chuckles.
Before they realized it, it was almost ten at night. Luckily, Liz felt the presence outside from earlier had already left the premises. Her best guess was that it must have been Bular. Having him come this close to the Lake Residence gives her more concern for Jim's safety, including Barbara's. She needs to let Blinky and AAARRRGGHH know about this.
As they cleaned up, Barbara offered to give her a ride home, but Liz politely refused. "That's okay. I have a ride of my own."
"You drive?" Barbara's eyes widened in surprise. Jim answers. "She drives a motorbike, Mom."
Liz chuckles, rubbing the back of her head. "Yup, I started driving her around town as soon as I got my driver's license in Arcadia."
Leading the two outside, Liz revealed her motorbike to Barbara. "Wow! I never have the courage to ride one of those."
Getting on and patting her bike, Liz grins at it proudly. "The feeling is great once you give it a try. It's exhilarating but also relaxing at the same time."
"Well, as long as it's not over the speed limit, it sounds amazing." Barbara chuckles. Glancing between her son and Liz, she decides to excuse herself. "It was lovely having you over for dinner, Liz. I hope we can do this again next time?"
"You bet. I had a great time. Thank you, Barbara." Liz said, smiling. Barbara grins. "Anytime. I'll leave you two to say goodbye. Good night, Liz, and get home safely."
"Night!" Liz waves as Barbara walks back inside the house, leaving the two kids outside. "Your mom is really nice."
"Yeah, she's the best." Jim grins softly before glancing at the motorbike. "I would love to ride one of these one days, but I would have to settle for a Vespa in the meantime before I get my license."
"I'm sure you will. If you can't wait until then, I can give you a ride sometime to see how it feels." Liz offers.
Jim was shocked by the offer. "Really?"
"Of course. Just, uh, don't tell your mom." Liz winks, making Jim blush slightly. "I'll hold you to that."
"Yups. Thanks for inviting me over. See you tomorrow. Good night, Jim." Liz says before putting on her helmet and driving off. Jim watches her until she disappears from sight.
"Good night, Lizzie."
Readers' Question: If someone offered to cook for you and asked you what you want to eat, what would it be?
Author's Comment Challenge: Finish the lyrics of "Kiss the Girl"
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- Miss_Nightingale