Chapter Nineteen

A/N Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments, I'm really enjoying writing this story, my first ever sequel! Lizzie's having a hard time, and this is no different. Think some of you will feel for her, but I think this is her finally relaxing, what do you think?                        

"I've got to head to New York City, a meeting with my boss; I'm looking for a long term schedule change. I'm aware that you are kind of dumped with my family. But you can come with me if you want. It's a cool place to go?"

Oscar was stood on the doorstep, the snow already melting around him, the sun shining.

Lizzie had slept well, though drinking the lion's share of the bottle of wine that Freya had brought probably helped with that. Freya had text an hour ago that Nate was still asleep, so she was surprised to be disturbed from finally reading her book by Oscar.

Once again he had fallen upon her rather underdressed. The chill that wafted around him into the hallway was having a rather obvious affect on her nipples and she was very aware of that. Stepping back as she offered Oscar into the apartment, she reached for a long knitted cardigan that was hanging on a hook, and wrapped it around her. She was sure she didn't imagine the groan of relief as he passed her.

"You want a coffee?"

He nodded, "brilliant thanks."

When she walked back into the lounge, with the coffee, he was pacing the room anxiously. He'd slipped off his coat, but was wearing a thick knitted sweater over some worn jeans. He made anything look amazing; he could be a catwalk model.

"You don't have to worry about us. Nate's having a great time." She offered that as she handed him a mug of coffee.

He nodded, "I can see that, but my sister...Coop, they're still strangers to you, I don't want to abandon you both...and if I need to spend a couple of nights in Manhattan, I figure we could go there together. At least there's something to see there, things to do."

Lizzie watched him as he sipped at the coffee, he seemed wired, nervous even, it had taken a lot to ask this maybe. She sighed, was more time in his company a good thing...if she stayed she'd be at the beck and call of the Coopers, dumped on them, not that they weren't the most genial of hosts. If she joined him, it could throw up a whole new set of problems, and she wasn't sure she was ready for. They had got on back in Manchester, he'd been caring, supportive, understanding...but since coming here, that had all changed.

"I don't know Oscar, maybe we need to spend some time apart...we have done nothing but argue."

He sighed, "I won't lie to you, I hate the thought of being apart from Nate so soon after him finding out who I am. I know I've been a prick since we've been here, it's all my fault, I'm just finding it hard seeing the different parts of my life collide I guess. We get along Lizzie, I've known you about a month, and already I feel like you are a great friend. Can't we go to the Big Apple as friends? A clean break. A new start?"

She digested that for a moment, wrapping her fingers around her warm mug. "Can I think about it?"

He laughed, "of course, I'd expect nothing less. But I have to organise flights - my meeting is first thing, we'd need to fly early evening at the latest."

She nodded then sipped her coffee.

"I'm not normally like this."

That made her lift her eyes and stare at him, "what?"

Oscar shrugged, "I don't know. I usually don't care about much, but I think since Nate...I don't know how to regulate things, you know?"

She didn't, but she nodded anyway, "having a kid...it's a twenty four seven thing...there's no respite."

Oscar sighed, "there's not meant to be, but it is the steepest learning curve, and back here...my life complicates things. When it was just the three of us...it was easier."

It was Lizzie's turn to sigh, "was it? I'm not sure. We've both got lives and they will always intrude...taking our selves away from that...it will only make coming back harder."

He looked confused to she added, "back in Manchester, I wasn't working, neither were you. That's not normal, I have to go back to work, and so do you...and then we have to work out what happens to Nate. It'll never be easy again."

He ran a hand through his hair, then smiled, "I suppose you're right. But the Big Apple...neutral territory. I want to get things back on track."

"What's gone off track?"

He shrugged, "mainly me..."

She nodded, "give me a little time; I need to think it over."

It was probably a bad idea, Lizzie hadn't had time to let her feet touch the floor, but staying for a few days in a snow ravaged town with his family didn't appeal as much as travelling to Manhattan where she could take in the sites, spend time with Nate, and relax. Her and Oscar HAD to discuss what happened once this trip was over, and all they'd done until now was fall out. That couldn't keep happening. There was some truth in what he said; here in this town it hadn't been great. She wasn't convinced that time away would be better, but she had to try...give it a chance. She couldn't hope with another few days like she'd just had, tiptoeing around afraid to do or say the wrong thing.

So by five pm, the three of them were boarding a plane for the short hop to JFK. Nate was loving the eternal adventure he seemed to be on, but Lizzie couldn't help but appreciate the distance and anxiety between them that definitely wasn't present when they had travelled from her home less than a week earlier.

"I've got us a two room suite just along the park from my office..." Oscar commented as the taxi whizzed them toward the midtown tunnel...well as fast as a whizz could be in the vicinity of Manhattan. But neither was listening, they were both staring out of the window at the familiar and impressive skyline. On the plane, Lizzie had confessed that she'd never visited the city, and he was hoping that it would live up to her expectations.

He had meeting for most of the next two days, but after that, he had decided to spend an extra day here with them, as long as they were all still speaking by then.

The taxi finally stopped outside a high end hotel, as it was part of the chain he worked for, the suite was a snip.

"We're in the same room?" Lizzie leaned close to him and hissed the words in his ear as they checked in.

Smiling he turned to her, "it's a two bed suite, I told you in the taxi, but you were engrossed...that way we have a room each, and Nate can take his pick where he sleeps."

She nodded slowly as she digested that, "ok. Good plan."

He laughed as he took the keys from the reception staff, "you mean I did something right? Wow!"

Laughing too, she elbowed his ribs, then turned to call to Nate, who was engrossed in the racks of leaflets advertising everything that there was to do in the city.

Skipping along beside them they found the elevator, then headed up to the fifteenth floor.

The suite was huge, and Oscar was happy to see Lizzie's face, her wide eyes, and open jaw as she took in the large lounge, small kitchen and the two huge beds in rooms either side of the lounge.

"It's amazing!" She breathed as she stepped mesmerised to the floor to ceiling window, and the hugely impressive view of the bright lights of the city beyond the darkness of Central Park.

Oscar chuckled, he felt the same way, the city never failed to entice him, and he loved seeing that in her eyes too.

"I love it here too...let's go get some dinner, before Nate gets tired, there's a great little place I know, just a few blocks away.

Lizzie was continually in awe, the place was magical and everything she'd hoped it would be. Everything looked familiar, and despite the heavy covering of snow, the whole place buzzed with life. It seemed that New York City stopped for no one.

Nate walked between them, holding a hand of each of them, talking incessantly, and Oscar merely flicked his eyes from her to Nate, a constant smile on his face.

"I love it here already Oscar, thank you so much."

His smile deepened, "I'm just glad I could share this with you."

The restaurant he pointed out was a little Italian deli, tucked away in a side street, but it was busy, and bustling, and Lizzie could almost imagine that it was in Italy, it was so perfect...not that she'd ever been there. The smiling maitre'd showed them to a table in the window, topped with a red gingham cloth.

Not only did Nate get to order his own pizza, the waiter took him into the kitchen so he could help the chef load it with toppings. He was ecstatic.

Conversation was light, the food to die for, and the wine that was recommended to match her risotto and his lasagne, was a light but very drinkable red. Waking back to the hotel Nate was shattered, so Oscar scooped him onto his back, and they strode back leisurely.

At the reception Oscar smiled, "why don't you take Nate up, get him ready for bed? There's a little grocery store around the corner, I'll get some milk, cereal and something for us to drink when we watch TV later?"

She smiled, "great suggestion."

He slid Nate off his back and into Lizzie's arms, "you'll manage him?"

He was almost asleep in her arms. She nodded, "we'll be fine. See you five I guess."

When they'd arrived they'd picked rooms, hers was the one to the left, his the one to the right. So she veered left lowering Nate to sit on the bed.

"Come on monster, time for bed."

He sighed, "I'm tired Aunty Lizzie."

Smiling she found his pyjamas then pulled off his sweater and t-shirt, sliding on his Minions pj's.

"Clean teeth, then I'll tuck you in."

He trotted to the bathroom, and did as she asked, as she was tucking him into the huge bed he asked, "will Osc...my father say goodnight?"

She sat beside him, "do you want to call him Daddy? Would that make you happy?"

He bit his lip as he looked at her, emotion ravaging his face, "is it ok?"

She smiled, "of course you can darling? You do what you want. Are you ok with him being your father?"

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded, "he's much cooler than Molly's dad, and he's really cool."

She laughed, "is he that good?"

Nodding he asked, "do you think he likes me too?"

"Likes you? He loves you already Nate, he thinks you're perfect, he couldn't have a better boy if he'd made the list himself."

That made Nate chuckle, "I'm glad you found him for me, Aunty Lizzie."

She stroked his head, "me too, baby."

As she tiptoed out of the room, she bumped into the solid mass that was Oscar, stood there looking stunned. She smiled at him.

"You heard?" He nodded. "Molly's Dad is a fireman...so you must be REALLY cool."

"Thank you."

His voice sounded hoarse and she wanted to grin at the emotion in his eyes, but she wasn't that heartless, in fact it was sweet, "I didn't say anything that wasn't the truth, he wants a goodnight kiss Daddy."

It didn't hurt half as much as she thought it would, in fact the look on his face as he entered the bedroom made her feel all warm inside.

She was curled up on the sofa when he emerged; some well attended chat show on the TV turned low.

"He can hardly keep his eyes open."

Lizzie smiled as he retrieved a bottle of wine from the small kitchen, along with two large glasses.

"He's an exhausted boy, but a lucky one...it's taken me twenty seven years to get to NYC, he's done it in less than five..."

Oscar handed her a glass of dark red wine, then lowered himself to the opposite end of the sofa, "I meant it, the thank you...I didn't appreciate you telling him about me the way I should. I mean you didn't have to contact me after Janis; you could have just gone on as you were. I realise that I owe you for this chance, and I need to show you that more."

She was touched by that, and felt those bloody tears well in her eyes again, this time for almost the right reason.

"I feel as though my feet haven't touched the floor for weeks. I'm struggling to hold all this together...that was a huge part of how upset I was yesterday."

He shook his head, "no, I think that's you being a bit genial towards me, but I promise you I've changed. I am going to appreciate things, and look out for you more."

Lizzie smiled, "we shall see, I bet I piss you off before lunchtime tomorrow."

It was his turn to laugh; "now why are you making that a challenge?"

An hour later most of the wine was gone, and Oscar had advised her on where he thought she should visit with Nate the following day, there was the obvious, but he suggested they could do some things together in the evening. He promised to be done from work by four and promised her knew some great family friendly restaurants.

Standing she stretched, "I think I should turn in now, it's been a long day."

He stood too, then pulled her into a hug, "not sure whether it's thank you or sorry that I need to reinforce, probably both. But I'm sincere, ok?"

Lizzie rested against him for a moment, finally she felt that feeling that only he had stirred in her, safety, support and security. When she pulled back, she grinned, "as I say, let's give it till dinner tomorrow, as I said."

In her bedroom, Nate was fast asleep on one half of the bed. Kicking off her clothes, she changed into her pyjamas, then slid under the covers next to him. But she didn't need to read her book, and she was sure that her smile was still on her face when she fell asleep seconds later.