A/N: Finally finished this, my take on an AUish insert for 2x20 Ghost Detainee

Stevie, Alison and Jason walked into the farmhouse, they weren't supposed to be here but plans changed so they all decided to surprise their parents, well Ali and Stevie decided, Jason just went along with it. They only made it into the entryway when
they heard their dad's voice echoing through the house.

"The victim of everything we've done. I'm not going to leave her there to die, too."

"You didn't have to be alone in this. You-you could have talked to me."

"I can't talk to you!" Elizabeth's head snapped up, he stepped back, using the counter for support. "You're all tied up with this in my head. Sometimes when I see you, it's like I-I'm going right back there." His head stayed down, eyes focused on the
floor; he knew he was hurting her but knowing and watching were two different things. "I know you want to help, but you can't. Because you remind me of how I failed."

He walked out of the kitchen, stopped in his tracks when he saw his children standing there, not trusting his words right now he grabbed his coat and keys and left.

"Ali, Jason why don't you go check on the horses." She phrased it like a question but they knew they didn't have a choice.

Stevie followed her mom's soft cries echoing through the house into the kitchen; sitting across from her she reached her hand across the table, offering comfort.

Elizabeth looked up, quickly wiped the tears when she saw her daughter. "What happened to the symphony?"

"Jareth was assigned a last minute paper so we exchanged our tickets for next weekend and Alison's sleepover was canceled because Molly is sick so we dragged Jason up here. Figured we'd surprise you."

Elizabeth managed a smile, hoping to rid her daughter's eyes of worry. "When did you guys arrive?" She asked when it didn't work.

"Somewhere around the time of 'not leaving her to die too'. What's going on mom?"

Moving to the coffee pot to fill a cup for her and Stevie, "It's nothing for you kids to worry about. He's just stressed about work." That wasn't a lie, "He'll be fine." She tried to convince Stevie just as much as herself.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me this is all from his teaching job at the war college? Because last time I checked teaching didn't cause this much conflict or any conflict between you two."

Elizabeth kept quiet, she's learned to lie to the kids about their jobs because she had to for several reasons but right now she couldn't do it.

"He's not just a professor is he?"

Now this one she knew how to answer, "Sweetie, as far as you and your siblings know your father is a professor." Her eyes held Stevie, silently begging her not to push this issue any further.

Stevie nodded, "I'm going to unpack, Ali and Jason are out with the horses."

Elizabeth rode on another horse since Buttercup was healing while Alison rode on her usual one. "I'm sorry you walked in on that."

"It's okay, we know you fight sometimes. You're not perfect even though you like to think you are."

"First of all, I know I'm not perfect and have no problem admitting it. Second of all knowing and hearing are two different things. You shouldn't have heard any of that. Remember you can talk to us about anything."

Alison was quiet; Elizabeth wanted her daughter to open up but knew better than to push. Finally, after 20 agonizing minutes for Elizabeth Alison spoke up, "Are you and dad going to be okay?"

"Yeah noodle, we'll be fine. As you said this isn't our first fight and this won't be our last either but we will get through it just like we always do."

"This one just seems different, I heard him say he can't talk to you. How are you going to fix things if you two can't talk it out?"

"There's just a lot going on right now at work but it's nothing for you to worry about it." It was for her to worry about. "You just focus on school, your column and being a teenager. Okay?"

"Okay. Race you back home?"

"Oh you are so on!"

The door slowly opened, light flooding into the room. Henry stripped down and climbed into bed a little after midnight. Hoping to avoid a tense run in with Elizabeth, he wasn't ready to talk yet, even if it was awkward, forced small talk before bed.

She rolled over once he was settled. "You need to talk to Jason tomorrow." When Henry didn't respond she continued, "I already talked to Stevie and Alison but Jason wasn't ready."

"How much did they overhear?"

"Just the end but it's enough for them to worry about us. I can reassure them all I want but they need to hear it from you too."

"Okay I'll talk to them."

They went to sleep without another word.

Henry looked up from his papers when he heard Jason's footsteps pass behind him. "Hey Jason come here for a second."

Sighing he walked over to his dad, "what's up?" He knew this talk was going to be about that's why he avoided his parents for the day. But now there was no escape.

"I know you overheard what we said, I'm sorry."

"Sorry we overheard you or sorry you said it?"

Henry hesitated, "both."

Jason scoffed, "Yeah that's real convincing. Did you mean it?"

"I shouldn't have exploded like I did. With that said this is situation is a lot more complex than you and your sisters know." His voice rose at the last part, prompting Stevie and Ali to come out of hiding in the next room and join them.

"I want you all to listen to what I'm going to say next. No matter what happens I love your mom and nothing will change that. We will work this out, it's just going to take sometime."

They all nodded, letting him know they heard him.

Henry held out his arms, the girls went first tucking into each of his sides. Jason followed after a few pleading looks, piling on top of them.

Jason, Alison and Stevie all watched their dad comfort Elizabeth from the window. Staying away at her insistence, she didn't want Buttercup to sense something was wrong.

Stevie was a little angry with her dad for leaving at a time like this; she's never seen her father leave her mother in a time of need. He knew how much Buttercup meant her and still he left, even at her insistence he never backed down until this morning.
However, it dissipated a little when he came back, reassured her that he was still the man she thought he was.

Alison's fear dissolved as she watched Henry comfort Elizabeth. As much as her family annoyed her and made her feel invisible at times, she always looked up to her parents, knew when she grew up she wanted a relationship just like theirs, still madly
in love 25 years later.

Even though he wouldn't admit it, this fight scared him. He knew his parents fought, had even overheard it a few times but never heard either of them blame the other one for something. He didn't know what the cause was but it didn't matter; in that moment
it was clear they would work it out just like always.