Chapter one

He would never admit it out loud, but he quite liked the little surprises that caught him off guard. It kept him on his feet and aware of possible threats coming his way. Especially when they came in small packages of tall brunettes who stand their own well enough, swaying her hips unconsciously yet solely and purely for his delight. Seemingly so, at least. And for now, with or without her intent, he very much enjoys the view, as always.

He cocks his head ever so slightly with a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. He takes her physique in, from head to toe and back. As she approaches him, the smirk fades, shielding it, and with it himself and his conflicted emotions, from her. Upon seeing her fragile body from close range, he straightaway realizes something's wrong. She looks worn down, fatigued even, and beaten up.

"Lizzy", he greets her, trying to mask and contain the rising concern within.

"Red", she replies absentmindedly as she stands before him. She gazes around, looking at nothing in particular. She looks away simply to look away, to not focus upon the man before her. She can't deal with this right now, with him, knowing he'll pick her apart – should he feel the need to do so.

"I take it everything went well?", he asks insensitively, his tone of voice formal, as it usually is, even though he wonders deeply within what has happened. The curiosity lingers in his eyes as she shoots him a stern look, but remains silent nonetheless. She looks around her yet again, at the mess surrounding them.

"What are you doing here?", she finally asks after a few minutes of silence, ignoring his previously-asked question. She doesn't dare to look at him, not after what she's been through. Not after what she's done. She's becoming like him, slowly, piece by piece. And it frightens her, all the way down to her core.

"Come, come, Lizzy. You know this isn't how it works", he says sternly, but with a hint of teasing lingering in his tone of voice, as he hopes to brighten the mood, but alas, no luck. Heck, the last time he said this, he got a rise out of her. She doesn't even as much as move now. She's still deflecting his attempts to make her look up at him. Although he admires her for her tenacity, he grows worried, feeling rather uneasy and troubled.

With worry taking over, he takes her in again, a closer inspection this time, and he notices several bruises all over her body, as well as a cut in her lip. Her hands seem rough, raw, and bloodied. There are a few scratches on her forehead. He smiles at her, albeit this time he hopes she notices the pitiful look upon his features. He genuinely sympathizes with her.

She directs her gaze at him, finally meeting his eyes. She doesn't look away either. She's found her courage, he realizes. Her stare pierces through him and it aches inside. She seems different from when they met several months ago.

"You were right", she says angrily, "You were right all along. Are you satisfied now?"

Her soft expression has taken an absent leave. Her once so lovely features, although still very lovely, are strict, bold and harsh. The warmth she so frequently and previously radiates has disappeared. The warmth he loves so much is gone. Now, she's staring at him with cold, empty eyes. He stares at her for a couple of seconds, blankly, without an expression. He then swallows hard. This time, it's him who looks away. He's slightly taken aback by her response, even though he must admit it's no surprise at all. And he can't blame her whatsoever, but there's only been one single moment before when she was this angry, resulting in her stabbing his neck with his pen. He certainly doesn't want history to repeat itself again. Not here at least. Not at the crime scene, and even though he favorites a strong woman, now was not the time.

"I suppose it's only normal you're trying to reason what's happened here today and the fact you're trying to find someone to blame"

He makes eye-contact with her and smiles again, his eyes reflect once more the pitiful look. Oh, how deeply sorry he truly is.

"Don't tell me you're not involved in this"

"I'm not"

"You knew. You knew all along"

"Didn't I warn you? Multiple times?"

"Exactly. What else am I to suspect? You must be involved somehow"

"Lizzy," he pauses, carefully deciding on what he should say and how he should say it without further upsetting her, "the situation is much more complex. This is only the beginning"

"But…..", small fragments of recent events suddenly start to rise to the surface, "who was she really?"

"Not important. She's been dealt with already, if I'm correct", he says straightforward, still very curious about what happened, but Elizabeth oddly doesn't take the bait.

"But…Jolene…Tom", she stammers, looking lost and utterly confused at her surroundings.

"You're in shock", he stares intensively at her as he makes his diagnosis, moments before placing a reassuring hand on her back to gesture her to his car, "Let's get you home"

"But…", she looks over her shoulder as he guides her along.

"Don't worry. I think agent Cooper can manage on his own"

"I don't want to go home", she says silently, almost whispering.

"You need to go home, Lizzy. You need to rest", he replies as he holds the door open for her. She stops dead in her tracks, just as she's about to step into the car, with one foot in already, but refuses to comply completely. She simply stares at him. She's at a loss, perhaps for words or actions, or perhaps she's simply lost herself.

"Don't make me…", she trails off, her voice soft and on the verge of breaking while tears start to form. His tough, formal exterior is her undoing yet it provides for the one thing she currently needs: the necessity to feel safe, "Not now…"

"I'll be there", he replies as he ushers her gently inside the car. He closes the door and quickly makes sure to get in as well, with one last look at the site in front of them. He then sits beside her, his eyes never leaving her.

"I'll be there", he says once more. This time his voice is low, reassuring her that he will take care of her no matter what. He will stand by her side and protect her, as he always has.