Chapter 1

Four years old

He wakes to an incessant itch and a dull ache in his back. He tries to look around but he is laying on his stomach and can only crane his neck so far. He lays there a few moments, trying to shake off the haze in his head which was making him sluggish.

Then he remembers. Katarina's panicked phone call, his promise to come and check on her. He was too late. The house was burning when he arrived.

"Lizzie!" He gasped, choking on his panic and attempting to sit up, only to flump back onto the pillow, too weak to move. He hears a rustling in the corner behind him, a thump as if something had been thrown onto the hard wood floor.

"Daddy! You're awake!"

It feels like an eternity before she comes into his line of sight. The image of his little girl — dressed in a pair of jeans and a pink t-shirt, her little feet bare as she gnaws on her lower lip with worry— became blurry as his eyes filled with tears at the sight of her. Worry looked so wrong on her young face. She seemed to want to give him a hug but was afraid of touching all the bandages on his back, afraid of hurting him. She finally decided to put her little hand in his, careful of the IV that was inserted there. Only then did he notice her tiny wrist was bandaged.

"Hey sweetheart, how are you doing? Does your arm hurt?" He strokes his thumb over her hand in attempt to comfort her.

He remembers holding her close to his chest as he ran out of the house, his coat catching fire as he passed a burning curtain. Her wrist must have burned as she held onto him.

"It's okay. You been sleepin' a long time, daddy. I'm almost all better. Mr. Sam says I'm gonna have a real cool scar." She smiles shyly at this admission before frowning. "I missed you. Why did it take you so long to wake up?"

"I'm sorry, baby. I was hurt really bad. Sleeping helped me heal faster." Lizzie nodded her head in understanding, though he doubted very much that she did.

"Mr. Sam said you'd wake up soon." She frowned again. He hated that she seemed to be frowning so much. He hadn't seen her in so long before that night. He missed her little smile. "Sometimes I didn't believe him." Lizzie sniffled, her bottom lip wobbled as tears leaked from the corner of her eyes.

"Oh baby girl, come here." Grunting at the pain, he scoots closer to the side of the bed and pulls her towards him. Her thin arms wrap around his head, the only place that was safe in the awkward position, as he wrapped his arm around her back.

"I'm here, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry you had to worry. I'm going to be fine. I promise." He kissed her cheek.

"Ah Red, I see you're awake. 'Bout time, you lazy son of a bitch."

Lizzie giggled as she pulled away from the hug to look up at Mr. Sam, wiping her eyes quickly as she gave the man a small smile as he walked into the room.

"Sam, language. There's young ears present." Red chuckled as Sam finally stepped into his line of sight.

"That the first thing you got to say to me after I save your half dead ass? 'Watch your language?'" Sam shakes his head, looking over at Lizzie with an exaggerated look of exasperation. "That's gratitude for ya."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Sam, I need you to do this for me. Please!" Red's arms rest on his knees, his hands interlocked as he looks up at Sam where he is leaning against the kitchen counter.

"This is insane, Red! You're asking too much. You're asking me to take care of one daughter so you can go play happy family with the other… and your wife!"

"Sam, you have to adopt her! No one can know she survived. It isn't safe!" Red implored, combing his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Adopt her?" Sam roared, and Red stood, shh-ing him as he listened for the tell tale signs that Lizzie had woken at the noise.

"I know. I know I'm asking a lot, Sam. But no one can know she survived that fire. And I have to go, I have to find out why the hell this happened. Please, Sam."

Sam stood stock still, staring him down like he used to do when they were shipped out together and Red had gone and done something stupid. Red shifted restlessly on his feet, trying to ignore the itch of healing skin as it grated against his t-shirt while he waited for Sam to say something.

Sam let Red stew as he thought this whole messed up situation over. He knew Red was right. And it wasn't like he didn't like the girl. Even as traumatized as she was, she was adorable as hell. As upset as she was, the girl still managed to try and make he and Red laugh, to try and make them feel better and lift the depressing vibe in the house.

"You will not abandon her, Ray. You hear me? You're gonna play a part in her upbringing. You are her daddy. Got that?"

"Yes, of course! I could never abandon her, Sam!" Red was caught between giddiness at the thought of his Lizzie being safe and annoyance that Sam could ever think he'd just dump her somewhere. "I love her just as much as Jennifer. Jesus Sam, I brought her and her mother here from Russia so she'd be safe! I will do anything for her!"

Sam's nostrils flared with a heavy exhale.

"She's been having nightmares. I know you know. I go to check on her and you're already there curled up on the bed with her. Something happened that night, Red. Something more than just a fire."

"I know. I—I'm not sure how to help her."

"Well figure somethin' out. That ain't something a little girl should have to live with, and frankly, I ain't equipped to help her through it."