No Force of Nature Ch. 03

"Mall?" he asked

"Mall." she sighed.

They cleaned the dishes, dressed in simple day clothes and piled into the jeep happy to see the roads had been properly plowed. The mall, of course, was an absolute disaster. Packed with crowds of panicking, last minute shoppers. Maggie and Liam both bought presents for their aunt, uncle and grandparents, they then split up and went looking for gifts for each other. Liam thought it might be funny to buy her lingerie but knew his family would want to see what gifts they had exchanged at Christmas. He eventually came across something simple and somewhat perfect for her, he just knew that buying this item was putting a lot of his hopes on faith that she wanted him as much he did her.

"Hey." he said, after dialing her cell phone. "You done buying my Cadillac?"

"Bah humbug to that, buddy." she laughed "You're getting coal...unless you give me what I want."

"Oh? And what's that?" Liam leaned on the railing, looking out over the lower level of the mall. He felt slightly naughty, having his sister on the phone, telling him she wanted something dirty while in public. It gave him a thrill to think of the taboo he was breaking, right under societies nose.

"You know what I want. I want you to take your fat cock and shove it- Oh my God, Hila!" the scream on the other end of the line made Liams stomach turn. Maggie didn't have to say the name, he could recognize that shreik across Canada. Hila, was Mag's oblivious best friend from high school. Liam couldn't stand her.

"Shit, Liam I'll call you back." with that she hung up.

Liam sighed and walked over to the Johnny Rockets where they had planned to meet once finished with the shopping. He stood against the outside wall, watching the people walk by. Harried mothers tugging their children behind them, wives dragging their husbands to the next nic-nac shop, teenage boys ogling through the Victoria Secrets window.

Across the way there was a bench for shoppers to rest their feet for a moment. On the bench sat a young woman. She had long blonde hair pulled back into a braid, probably around her mid thirties, nothing remarkable to look at. What did catch his eye however was the child she held in her arms.

The little girl was perfectly content to sit on her mothers lap and people watch with her. Every now and then the mother would point something out, making the little girl giggle with glee. Liam smiled when something hit him.

Maggie couldn't have children. He knew that having a child with his sister was risky genetics wise but he had often fantasized about what their children may look like if they ever made a go of it. Having a child was on the list of milestones Liam wanted to mark in his life..he wanted his own child. Maggie was right, this was never going to be easy.

"Lili!" a cry rang out, carrying the sound of his least favorite nickname of all time across the murmur of the crowd. Out of the dense crowd emerged a tall, slender girl, probably Liams height, short red hair, nose ring and brown eyes. In one hand she held her purse, in the other the hand of his sister being tugged mercilessly along like a dog on a leash.

"Holy shit, this is awesome!" Hila cried, dropping Maggie's hand and throwing her arms around Liams neck. "It is so good to see you two. I thought we were never going to see you again after you moved to Alaska!"

Liam glanced over to Maggie sending her a very specific glare, only used when Hila was involved. She shrugged and mouthed the word sorry over Hila's shoulder.

"Let's get food...I want a burger!" Hila smiled and walked into the diner style restaurant.

"You always want a burger." Maggie sighed, following her friend in and giving Liam a quick wink. He followed them grudgingly.

They sat down to eat, as usual Hila was too loud for Liam's taste and kept the conversation tightly circling around her own life and surprisingly, upcoming nuptials. She just couldn't stop talking about the aggravating search for a dress, the house they were going to buy, the engagement party on New Years Eve, which of course they were now both invited to. Throughout the meal he couldn't help but notice Maggies face, when Hila looked at her she was nothing if not attentive and complimentary but when Hila entered her own world, Maggie's expression turned almost sour. Like she resented Hila being there which was very unusual for Maggie...no matter how annoying Liam claimed Hila to be, Maggie had always held a fondness for the girl.

Once lunch ended they parted ways and Maggie rushed out to the jeep, claiming to have a headache and wanting to go home. Liam didn't object.

**********

Margaret knew she was going to regret inviting Hila to eat lunch with them but she hadn't seen the girl in years and it would have been rude not to do so. She clutched the handle of the car like her last lifeline and stared out the window on the highway. Liam of course was silent, giving her time to think. His caring and consideration for her space allowed a small light to work there way through her dark thoughts.

Of course, after hearing Hila's pre-marital troubles, all she could think of was how she would kill to be able to be in that position with the man she loved. Liam had been right, as usual,which in itself was aggravating enough.

She hadn't thought of the consequences of their relationship. She wanted to jump without looking how far the distance to the ground would be. This canyon they had tumbled into seemed endless.

But Maggie wasn't upset about the future she may be missing out on, but what she I'll be depriving her brother from having. He would never be able to have children...something Margaret had come to terms with years ago, but Liam may have had plans for a family. They would never have a proper wedding that friends and families could attend, which again was something Maggie thought overrated. But did she ask Liam what he wanted before pushing him over the edge?

As they turned onto their street Maggie's self disgust was overwhelming. She was so angry with herself on Liam's behalf, how could she have been so selfish? It wasn't fair of her to push this life on Liam even though he said it was what he wanted. But on the other hand, they both agreed to put the regrets and feelings of guilt aside for the coming month...maybe she should take her own advice for once.

Her door opened and she was brought back to reality. There was Liam, holding the door open for her like a gentleman...she was lucky to have a brother so understanding...he should be able to have everything he ever wanted.

"Thanks." she mumbled, grabbing her packages and moving past Liam into the house. She heard him close and lock first the car and then house doors. Lazily dumping the shopping bags on the landing, she moved into the living room, and flopped on the large couch.

Maggie closed her eyes, physically exhausted from their mall escapades and emotionally drained by their Hila encounter.

"What a pair we are." she heard Liam exclaim from somewhere nearby.

"That's the problem though isn't it...we'll never actually be a pair...a real couple." Maggie muttered more to herself than to her brother, eyes remaining closed and blocked from Liam. After a moment she felt hot breath on her neck followed closely by the touch of lips. A quick, unexpected gasp escaped her mouth, she blushed.

"Did that feel real?" Liam whispered, followed by a lingering kiss on her chin. "Or that?"

"You know what I mean, Liam." she murmured attempting to keep her cool and not reveal how his simple touches drove her senses wild, igniting the fire within her soul.

"Stop it, Liam." she whined when his kisses continued, traveling down her neck and to her collar bone.

"Cranky much?" his hand snaked to her shirt and played with her buttons, not unbuttoning, just a light teasing. His lips hovered over the fabric of the thin shirt, blowing patterns along the bias of the material.

"The mall took it out of me." She sighed, allowing her hand to rest in his hair, playing with the close cropped curls. Their was a slightly Grecian look to her brother's haircut she had always admired, with hair as curly as theirs it was hard to enjoy much variation.

"Ya know, I would have been just as OK without having Hila to lunch."

"She's an old friend who I haven't seen for a long time..." Liam was now nuzzling her stomach, the lack of contact they had endured during their visit to the mall had left him feeling antsy. He knew however, there was some sort of issue that needed to be addressed with Maggie.

"Friend? That girl is a snake in the grass." he look up incredulously, sneering slightly at even the thought of Hila.

"You just never liked her because you found her annoying." Maggie said, pushing herself up onto her elbows.

"Too right she is!"

"Liam!"

"What? And now, because of her, we have to go to the stupid New Years party." he sat back on his heels, the tone in his voice stating clearly that he was done nuzzling.

"What, have other plans?" Maggie asked sarcastically

"Yea, I thought I would get to spend time with my girlfriend...alone." he looked at her pointedly.

Maggie sat up straight on the couch to address him. This was the strangest sensation, arguing with him. It felt like an argument they had had over various issues as children. Nothing important, just brother and sister squabbles. But this, this was an argument a couple would have as well. She didn't know ifnshe could ever get used to this dual relationship.

"For what?" she cried, now frustrated. "Some more heavy petting?"

"What is your problem, Mags?" Liam stood up and yelled at his sister

"You're the one with the problem with Hila." she said standing to face him full on, not backing done as they had fought as siblings for years now. "I just wanted to have a nice lunch!"

"The lunch would have been lovely, sans that little annoying sack of-" He stopped himself, striding into the kitchen and filling a glassof water, before cursing his sister's friend out anymore. In truth he knew he was overreacting slightly to having to eat lunch with Hila, but seeing her had stirred something in Maggie that unsettled him.

"God, why don't you like her so much?" Maggie yelled, hot on his heels.

"Because she is a selfish bitch. Because she has the most god awful voice in the history of annoying voices-" he began to count off his fingers mockingly,

"You're so shallow, you don't like her because of her voice?" she leaned against the kitchen island. Her shoulders were tense and her arms crossed. Full battle mode. "Because she is a little loud?"

"That's not the only reason!" Liam cried, exasperated. He put the glass he had been drinking from into the sink and walked away from her again, this time heading for the stairs. He needed time away from her, time to think.

Before he could get much further Maggie branded him by the arm to stop him from running away, yet again. "So tell me, what other fantastic-"

"She upsets you!" He yelled, turning back on her. "I could see it when we were eating, listening to her whine and complain about the engagement and her rich fiancé." Maggie stayed silent, listening to her brothers confession. "I didn't like it." he looked sheepish, almost embarrassed. This softened Maggie a bit bringing her shoulders to release, her expression no longer angry but tired.

Shaking her head and sitting on the landing that led upstairs she said "You can't protect me from everything."

"That...I could have. That little hurt-" he sat next to her, his voice also mellowed.

"But that's what it was, a little hurt." she put her hand over his. "Nothing to get worked up over. There are bigger things to worry about than how I feel about Hila's engagement."

"But that little thing turned into a big thing in the car. I can see it even now, stirring in your head." she went to deny it and he interrupted, knowing her too well. "Don't lie to me."

"So many questions...so many factors to go over." she leaned her head on his shoulder

"Factors?" Liam put his arm around his sister.

"Concerning us."

"What happened to lets not worry about the outside world, lets be a normal couple?" he nudged her attempting to introduce playfulness in the conversation. She wasn't having it.

"I was wrong. How can we not think about the real world.." she sighed. He placed a hand under her chin and raised her head to look at him.

*****

"By being here and enjoying the time that we have together." he whispered before kissing her. Her lips were soft and full as usual, but there was an unrelinquishing tightness to her response. Eventually she pulled away and this time, he couldn't help but notice he slight sheen of tears in her eyes.

"You say that as if its going away, like this bubble is going to pop once Will and Miriam come home." her voice was slightly hysterical. He hated seeing her like this, constantly worried or stressed about something that might not even happened. Maybe he was being selfish, keeping er to himself. Scratch that. He knew he was being selfish.

"No matter what happens, whether we choose to be together or not, the bubble will most certainly pop." Liam kissed his sister and squeezed her tighter towards him.

"We live in different worlds." she said, confirming his thoughts. If they decided to make a go of it, it would be a very very long distance relationship. "If we stayed together I wouldn't want to be thousands of miles apart.."

"You could come live in Anchorage with me. No one even knows I have a sister up there." he joked

"Gee, thanks." she said, affronted but grinning once more, her tears having abated. "Anyway from Queens, NY to Anchorage, Alaska? Not the easiest transplant ever." she shivered slightly just thinking about how cold it must be up there.

"It's not so bad..." he laughed but then all of a sudden thought of his new home of the past four years and a strange thought occured to him. He actually missed it. He was homesick for Anchorage. "We joke about life up there but it's actually..." the words wouldn't form, a lump stuck in his throat as the sweeping mountains flashed through his head.

"It's actually what?" Maggie asked, sensing the change in him. "Tell me...please. I always wondered why you chose the land of nothingness...I mean now it makes more sense but..."

"Land of nothingness." he laughed and sobered just as quickly, a far away gaze coming over him. He thought of the land, how it looks like it could stretch on and on for years and you'd never stop walking.

"You couldn't be more wrong. Alaska is a land full of life. Granted, I chose to go there because it was far enough away to stay in the states but I realized what I actually went there for was I was searching for something. Let me tell you, there's no place better to search for something than in a land where everyday you see the sun rise over glacial mountains, snow capped or covered in green, and the water seems to live and breathe, having thoughts of it's own. The whole state, around every corner, you'll discover something about yourself and at the next corner the thought will be gone, taken from you...like the sun up there. So fleeting, when you thought it was warming you... it was actually just teasing."

**********

Maggie knew this side of her brother, the dreamer. Or former dreamer, now. As he aged his idealist manner gave way to more practical ideals.

"What thought did you lose?" she asked quietly, not really wanting to disturb his reverie.

"You." he said, finally looking back at her with a glowing smile. "I was searching for you." he radiated love and Maggie couldn't help but kiss him passionately. She entwined her hand in his curls and lulled herself to straddle his lap on the steps, it took some maneuvering, but they managed. All the while never breaking the slow and burning kiss.

Maggie finally pulled her lips from his, but kept her face hovering near his. "Where did you see me?"

"In the mountains, in the sunrise, in the glaciers...you were thousands of miles away yet the thought of you was constantly poking and peeking into my mind. Then you were gone, just like that." his emotions were getting the better of him, the thoughts of the wild, beautiful land reminding him of how alone he felt up there sometims. Constantly searching for her in a place she would never be. A small, tearless sob rasped from his chest. "Please don't escape my mind again, Mags. I can't endure it." he clutched her to him.

After a few moments of holding each other, Maggie was convinced there was nothing that could separate them again. No matter who knew about them, whether she had to hide it from her friends and family, leave her life in Queens...she didn't care.

"It sounds magical there." she kissed his cheek

"It would be if you were there." there was a question in that statement that Maggie wasn't sure she could answer quite yet. Instead she lifted Liams head and placed her lips lightly against his.

"Kiss me, Liam. Make it count, while the bubble is still intact."

To Be Continued...