prompt from 'guest' -Henry and Elizabeth have grown very far apart because of the strain caused by Dmitri. Elizabeth has a bad day and Henry ignores her. Then later he catches her sniffling not noticing him come in, and feels heartbroken that he caused this.
Hope I do your idea justice.
ANOTHER THING! GUYS! I just want to say thank you to all you lovely people who commented! I teared up! I read them all, and they really do brighten my day, so thank you so much. I can't express my gratitude, damn I was there was a reply button! Anyway, onto the story, Happy Reading!
They'd been arguing over the same topic for over two weeks, unable to even hold a conversation without it leading to a screaming match, and over the last few days, they'd just stopped talking completely, and what hurt Elizabeth the most was the fact that it was easier that way. She could feel her husband drifting away from her, coming home later, going to work earlier. He'd not been able to keep his hands off her their entire marriage, and now, he wouldn't even look at her. She missed him. His touch. His scent. Him. Elizabeth knew she'd be stupid to believe today would be any different, she knew he needed time, what she did...hurt him, and she reminded him of his failure, he'd said so himself... however, like always, she found herself hoping that maybe today she'd roll over and he'd hold her like he used to, but she rolled over to find his side empty, telling her once again he'd left early for a run to avoid her. Elizabeth knew she'd be an idiot to believe that she'd go down stairs and he'd make little touches, catch her lips in a quick kiss, even hug her, and she was right. He looked at her, looked away, and as they spoke to their children, not once did their eyes meet, or their hands briefly touch the way they used to. She wished she could go back and change what she did, she just wanted her husband back, yet she found herself worrying if this was it for them. She worried that the next time they spoke, he'd talk about lawyers, and divorce, and how he couldn't go on like this, and so yes, Elizabeth McCord preferred the silence, because if he wasn't speaking to her, he wasn't telling her he was leaving.
Elizabeth watched as her husband left, a small goodbye from his lips before heading through the door.
"Are you and dad ok?" Ali asked her, and Elizabeth nodded.
"Of course, Noodle." She told her daughter, a fake smile on her face and Allison nodded, before hopping of her stool and following the sound of Stevie's voice as she called them to hurry up as she was taking her and Jason to school.
At work, Elizabeth was having the worst day imaginable, not only has a deal with Iran fell though, Chinese Minster, Chen, was on her back about the deal with the US, there was some kind of problem with the deal she and the president had made with Russia, and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep for a year. Everything was getting too much, the problems at work, the problems at home, the worry, the stress. She took a deep breath and sat back, closing her eyes, before Daisy walked into her office.
"Sorry to disturb, Ma'am. But there's something you need to see." Daisy said, and Elizabeth nodded, taking the iPad from Daisy gracefully and reading the headline: Iraq president threatens Iran with an attack due to lack of respect on their recent deal. And Elizabeth sighed.
"Really?" She said to no one in particular, and rubbed her eyes.
"Iran have started planning for retaliation, claiming they've done nothing to provoke this kind of threat, and that whatever deals were being made are no loner in negotiation." Daisy informs her.
"Thanks, Daisy." Elizabeth nodded, and she left the room as Elizabeth's phone rang.
"You're needed at the white house, Ma'am." Blake told her as he walked into her office, and she nodded, standing.
"Of course they do." She said quietly, sighing as she walked out of the room.
By late afternoon, everything went from bad to worse, Iran and Iraq were heading down a path of war, China were re-thinking their peace deal, and Russia refused to cooperate with the US government. She was sat in her office, just finishing a chat with Minister Chen, and sighed in relief when he ended the call with, 'Negations will continue, Thank you, Madam Secretary." and she leaned back in her chair, remembering she unfortunately, still had to deal with Iran and Iraq, and that was getting nowhere. The amount of stress she felt made her want to break down, why was nothing easy?
"Russia is on the line, Ma'am." Blake told her, and she nodded, before accepting the call.
"Well that was useless." Elizabeth said to Nadine as she ended the call with Russia.
"We're getting somewhere. Granted, slowly, but, progress is being made." She told her boss, hoping to show her a positive side.
"This day sucks." Elizabeth laughed, rubbing a hand over her face.
"It's almost over, Ma'am." Nadine joked back, and Elizabeth smiled at her chief of staff as she left the room, before looking at the time. 8:30pm. She could be curled up in bed in an hour, she'd still be thinking about how to solve the worlds problems, but, she'd be in bed. She just wished the hour would pass quicker, she couldn't take anymore bad news, and that's went Jay walked in.
"Turns out Russia don't want a peace deal after all, that whatever Maria was bribed with will not effect their decision to take over Ukraine, and that the US are not show no involvement." Her policy advicer shared, and Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Why are they so difficult..." Elizabeth though aloud.
"There very hell-bent on the attack on Ukraine. It could happen at anytime." Jay told her, and she nodded, and Jay took his leave, knowing when she was in no mood for company.
Elizabeth hates this day. Hates.
When Elizabeth arrives home, she surprised to find Henry on the couch, for weeks he'd gone to bed before she came home so he didn't have to speak to her, so as she walked in, she looked at him.
"You're up late." Elizabeth said, walking passed him to get to the kitchen.
"Couldn't sleep." He replied, his eyes fixed on the tv, not even showing any sign of wanting to speak to her, and so she didn't reply. She just grabbed a plate of dinner left out for placed it in the microwave, and waited for it to heat up. Her eye's welling up to the lack of acknowledgement of her presence, an she suddenly found herself with no appetite. From the day she's had, and coming home to a husband who wont even look at her, she just wants it over, and so she turns off the microwave and heads to bed, throwing on a jumper and loose pants before laying in bed, and she lets her tears fall freely, rolling onto her side.
He'd waited up for her, he got worried when it hit nine thirty and she wasn't home, and so he sat on the couch and waited.
When she walked in, she'd tried to talk to him, but he was just still so... urgh. He hated himself for not being able to look at her, but he'd failed someone who life had depended on him, and he didn't think he'd ever be able to forgive himself for that, which made it hard for him to forgive her, he didn't know why. When he heard her walk up the stairs, he watched her, and noticed how exhausted she looked. He wanted nothing more to hold her in his arms, but he couldn't. He didn't understand why he felt this way, and maybe they should talk about it at some point, but he wasn't ready for where it might lead, and so he turned his attention back to the television.
Henry took himself to bed no longer than ten minuets later, and opened their bedroom door silently, looking at his wife who looked at though she was asleep, and as he went to go into the bathroom who heard a quite sniffle, that's when he realised she was crying. And his heart dropped, was she okay?
"Elizabeth? Henry said, and he watched her body tense, and he walked over to her side of the bed after turning the light on, and she quickly wiped her tears, closing her eyes.
"I'm okay." She told him, her voice weak and quiet.
"You're crying. What's happened?" He asked her, and she shook her head, sitting up before getting put of bed.
"Nothing. I'm fine." She told him, and walked into the bathroom, but he followed straight after her. Had he caused this?
"Babe, you're not okay. You're upset." Henry said, watching as she walked out of the bathroom after grabbing some tissue.
"Honestly, its nothing. Don't worry about it" Elizabeth told him, and he stopped her from walking.
"What? Of course I'm going to worry about it, you're hurt. Talk to me.." Henry told her, and she looked at him, and that's when he noticed how drained she looked.
"Talk to you?" Elizabeth questioned. "Henry you've barley spoke to me in nearly a month what am I supposed to talk to you about?" Elizabeth asked, and his heart broke.
"Babe -." Henry began.
"I don't know what's happening to us, henry. And it scares me." Elizabeth said to him, "I don't want to loose you but I cant live like this. I can't.." She told him, looking down.
"I know." She said to him, and she looked up once again. "I want to fix us... this. I love you so much, and I hate that you're crying because of me." Henry told her, wiping her tears softly.
"Don't do that." Elizabeth spoke quietly, "Don't tell me you want to fix it and then go back to not talking to me. I can't do this, anymore Henry. Either talk to me, and work on this, or... or just leave." Elizabeth said o him, fresh tears falling down her face. "If I remind you of what happened to the point where you cant even look at me then just go, but I need to know where you stand." Elizabeth told him, and Henry felt his heart break in his chest.
"I'm not leaving. I love you, I'm so sorry for what I've put you through, for what I said. I don't want to loose you, ever. I stand with you, Elizabeth. Forever," He told her, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, and she wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry for making you believe I didn't want you, or make you feel as though you aren't worth the fight because you are." He told her, and kissed her.
"We can fix this." Henry promised, and she nodded, before getting back in bed, and her bod relaxed as she lay in his arms.
When Elizabeth woke up, she found herself once again hoping her husband would be there, and when she rolled over, a smile graced her lips, because there he was, on his side of the bed, pulling her closer to him.