strangetrip | "No One Told Me Why I'm In Berlin"

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"No One Told Me Why I'm In Berlin" - Tag Peter and Alec

When Liz found out that the new world was actually Earth and Europe, she couldn't quite hold back her excitement. The fact that the year was, according to the people at the desk, 2018 meant she was going to be closer to Peter's time than her own. She would finally be able to experience what his world was like, even just a little bit, and learn more about the internet and scientific advancement and maybe watch a few of Peter's favourite films they couldn't get at the inn.

"I still don't know why I'm here." Alec sat across from the two teenagers on the train heading to Berlin looking appropriately put-out despite not actually feeling that way. The truth was, he had never been to Europe and he had seen that semi-embarrassing video that Peter had of his trip to Germany and maybe, just maybe, he wanted to see it. Though he told himself he was actually just chaperoning because the world could be dangerous and both Liz and Peter were naive and believed the best in people, even when they shouldn't.

Liz was dialing another phone number on the smartphone she had been given. Thankfully she had enough practice with Peter's to be able to use the one she had and not look entirely inept. So far there had been no answer with Maria's house and the number for the Crashdown was out of service. Her home got a busy signal. She also knew it was a possibility everyone had moved or something. Then suddenly her face lit up - the Roswell police department was on the other end.

"Hi, um. Yes. I was wondering if I could speak to Sheriff Valenti please?" A pause. "Sheriff Valenti. Valenti." Another pause as her excitement lessened. "Okay, well, um. Can you at least tell me if there was a record of a Sheriff Valenti on the force?... How can you not know that." She caught herself as the words came out more tense and annoyed. Liz took a breath. "Yes, I'll hold." And hold she did. The more she waited, the more her expression dampened. Finally, there was a voice again. "Oh.. okay. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye."

She hung up. "They, um. They have no record of him working there. So I guess.. this isn't my world."

Alec shrugged, still looking out the window. "This isn't mine either. We can be twinsies, if you want."

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"I'm not negative," Peter argues. "I'm just being cautious."

Peter sets his hand on top of Liz's.

"You had anything you wanted to do?" he asks her. They've done a lot of what he wanted to do already.

"Just the Berlin wall." It seemed like an important historical place to go visit. It was also a place Liz never thought she'd visit in her life.

"We should definitely go see the Berlin wall after this," Peter pronounces. He digs out his phone to single-handedly search for public transit routes while eating with the other.

"It's about 15 minutes away by bus, or we can walk it," he pronounces. "It's 3.5 km away."

It was really neat to watch Peter use his phone so easily. At least for Liz - Alec didn't care either way.

When they were finished their food, they decided to take the bus. The wall itself was rather busy with tourists, though not to much as to make it annoying. There was a street performer who was playing guitar - a slow, relaxing sort of melody that neither Alec nor Liz recognized.

The wall itself was just a wall, except for the historical context and the graffiti, but Liz found it incredible to be standing where actual history happened.

Once there was an opening, Liz looked at Peter. "We should take a picture. All three of us."

It's a lot to take in.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall happened a long time before he was born, but he learned all about it in Freshman European History. It fees weird, somehow, to be standing at a landmark of such historical significance. Especially when it wasn't something that happened hundreds of years ago, but just a few decades.

"Yeah," Peter agrees, fishing out his phone. "Alec, you're going to join us, too. No complaints."

Even though technically no complaints day started tomorrow.

"I will take a picture with you in front of a wall, don't worry." As much as Alec understood the significance of the wall, the history of the world always seemed so far removed from his life. He knew all about the strategies and failures of the major wars, but Manticore didn't really discuss things like social impact and the like.

True to his word, Alec stands up near the wall, taking the position behind Liz and Peter - he's the tallest after all - and when Peter took the selfie, he even put his hand around Peter's shoulder and smiled. The smile was genuine, though like always, looked like he was flirting into the phone.

Peter was expecting more of a fight, but was pleasantly surprised to find that Alec had no fight in him. In fact... he sort of got into it?

That was weird. Not bad-weird, but... definitely weird.

"Thanks," Peter says, appreciatively as he smiles down at the photo. His attention doesn't stay there for long; Peter pops the camera back into his camera and looks back over at it.

"It's just weird, seeing this place and knowing everything that happened here happened when May was in junior high."

May wasn't that old, either.

"Don't worry. Another wall will be built somewhere else to try to do the same thing, trust me." Alec meant it - he lived it - but the comment also got a few unhappy glances from people around them.

Liz felt a little embarrassed, but tried to re-direct. "I always thought it would be really neat to see places like the pyramids or Machu Picchu, too. One day, maybe people will visit places like New York or Roswell and think the same thing." It seemed really weird, but it was possible.

"Yeah," Peter says, nodding to what Liz said. "I mean, there's already a Stark Expo memorial, and there's been people talking for years about putting up those little brass information plaques around the city about the Chitauri attack on New York," he says. "I don't know if there'll ever be people who go to New York City just for that, but... maybe."

Liz didn't have much of any context for what happened at the Stark Expo or the Chitauri attack - neither of them happened to her - but she nodded regardless because she knew they had happened to Peter and he'd remember. They were big deals to him.

Alec, on the other hand, was less subtle. "Oh yeah, those two things neither of us remember." He shrugged "Alright, Professors Parker and Parker, lead the way to our new and exciting learning experience of history and culture."

"We could go to Museum Island," Peter says, flicking through websites on his phone. "There's a couple of museums there, the Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode Museum, and the Pergamon."

A beat.

"That's a lot of museums," Peter observes. "We might want to save that for tomorrow."

Especially since Alec promised not to complain tomorrow. He made no promises about today.

"I have a better idea. How about we go shopping? On me. You can pick up Lego or something." Anything to get him out of more museums right now.

"Are you sure?" Peter asks, trying to reign in his excitement. He presses his lips together. "LEGOs are expensive. They don't look it, but they really are."

"Yes, fine, whatever you want. Just please no more learning today. I beg you. I already know way more about the history of computers than I ever actually need to know." And unlike either of them, it would all remain up in his head forever.

Liz giggled softly, then leaned a bit into Peter. "Maybe you can help me choose some new cds of bands you like." Because CDs were still a thing, right?

There's no masking the excitement on his face. He wonders if there's any really good new LEGO sets that have come out since last June and now. He wonders if he can find them in any stores here.

"Yeah," he says. "But we should find some CDs of bands you like, too."

There's a decade and a half of music that Liz hasn't gotten to experience yet. There's probably a lot she'll like that hasn't Peter yet listened to.

Alec had a feeling he was going to regret his decision and he did when they found a place that sold Lego - Alec didn't realize one person could take so long to pick out a toy before, but man did it happen. The music store was slightly better. Alec was reminded after thirty minutes into the whole thing - he was not a big shopper.

---

After dinner, they found their way back to the hostel where, true to their words, there were two big packages waiting for Peter and Liz. Alec waited in the lobby while the teens went to open the package and try whatever was on inside. Liz didn't think her outfit looked too bad, though. She turned to look at Peter. "This looks okay, right?"

"Yeah, you look really nice."

More than really nice. She looked really pretty. Peter feels he should say more, so...

"I like the little bead things," he says, gesturing to them on the shirt. Why do I have to be so awkward?

She ducked her head, smiling. "Thanks." It was funny because she didn't have much more of her skin exposed that usual, but it felt different somehow - maybe because it wasn't an outfit she picked out.

"Are you okay with your stuff?"

"Yeah," Peter says, looking down at himself. He's wearing a white t-shirt, some jeans, and a blue blazer. Around his neck dangles a necklace with a ring and a dove on it. Not exactly what he would have chosen for himself, but it wasn't totally out there, either. "It was better than I expected."

He'd never been to a late-night DJ club party before. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. Glowsticks? Now, he's not even sure.

"I wonder what Alec is wearing." Probably the same stuff as usual since they didn't seem to remark upon his clothing choices.

"I think you look good." More than good, but good felt safe right now. They had to leave soon, after all, and she had a feeling Alec would be annoyed with them. He might actually be excited about something.

When they came out, Alec was in a black v-neck shirt and jeans and his hair was styled like it normally was. "See? No big deal. You might actually look like your over eighteen." Maybe.

The group from before was waiting outside a factory for them. They were dressed to impress. They ushered them through some doors, passing what looked like a set of keys to the bouncer. The sound of booming bass sounded as they descended into a factory through metal grated walkways and doors.

When they finally got to the last door, it opened to a big room filled with people. There were Laser lights, fog, and 5 bars around the space. There were, in fact, some people with glowsticks too.

Alec looked like he was suddenly in his element. His eyes bright and his smile wide, he might actually look like he was relaxed.

Alec may have been in his element, but Peter was completely out of it. Liz's house party was about as close as he came to ever being at a party like this, and by comparison, it was really tame.

"IT'S REALLY LOUD IN HERE," Peter practically shouts over the music.

"That's the point!" Alec shouted back to him. "No room for thinking. You're supposed NOT THINK AND HAVE FUN." And then Alec was immediately pulled away by several excited women.

Liz reached for Peter's hand and gave him a squeeze. She leaned on to kiss him on the cheek and spoke against his ear. "I love you." Then she tugged him lightly and found a space where they had a little room - there wasn't a lot of space to begin with - and kept his hand in her own, leading him in a fast dance, but smiling reassuringly at him the entire time. It would probably be hard to miss, though, that Liz enjoyed dancing.

Peter tries to fast dance with her, but he's not very good at it. His body can't seem to go with the flow; every movement is rigid. Still, he keeps at it because he knows Liz enjoys it and he enjoys that she enjoys it, so he's going to try and enjoy it, too.

"REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME WE DANCED?" he shout-asks.

Even though it's lost in the music, Liz giggled. She nodded, too, remembering how nervous she had been, but now nice it had been, too, to be so close to him.

For Liz, it didn't matter that he didn't necessarily have 'moves'. She thought he was doing just fine. In fact, she thought he looked incredibly cute, but some would say she was biased there.

She leaned in, raising her voice to be heard. "You're still my favourite dance partner!"

Eventually they found themselves at the side of one of the bars with drinks. Liz had a bottle of water. Being behind the speakers gave a little relief to the loud music, but only insofar as you didn't have to shout at the top of your lungs - just shout moderately.

"You're a good friend!" Because she knew this wasn't his sort of thing and it wasn't his sort of outfit and it was late, but Alec had asked.

Alec, who could occasionally be seen in the crowd of bodies, clearly having fun - an expression he didn't seem to have at the inn a lot.

Peter smiles at Liz's compliment. Liz was his favorite dance partner, too. He just feels so comfortable around her, even when he might not feel all that comfortable himself.

Like when he's out of his element. Like right now.

"If you wanted me to, I'd do the same thing!" he replies. "Friendship's all about give and take, you know?!"

Peter takes a sip of his soda. There's no alcohol in it, just plain soda and ice.

"I think he probably wants us to have fun!" Peter looks out at Alec.
"But I have fun just doing science homework!"

That's probably where Alec and he differ with regards to "fun".

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