Title: A Parallel Universe - Divorce

Author: Strella Smith

Pairings: Eventual Fred/Lizzy

Rating: PG (For very mild language.)

Two years went by. Lizzy was nine. She showed no signs of forgetting Fred or desiring that he leave her life. Mickey Bunce moved away when she was eight. Fred tried to be sorry, but failed. At home, things continued to be difficult. Polly Cronin remained cold, controlling and at times even cruel. Nigel continued to be a kind but distant presence in Lizzy's life. Fred wished fervently that he would try to stand up to his wife, try to be more involved with his daughter. But wishing couldn't make it happen. Polly ruled with an iron fist. Much of the time, it took every ounce of Fred's inherent moxie to keep Lizzy's fighting spirit buoyed.

They made much use of the magic words. The first time Lizzy used them on her mother, Polly had stared at her in shock and then grounded her for being disrespectful. It had a rather dampening effect on Lizzy's outlook, but Fred encouraged her to keep using them, even if it meant punishment. "The more you use them, the more you'll begin to believe them." He told her. "Eventually they'll be true."

"There's fewer consequences if I just think them," said Lizzy ruefully.

"Well, just do what works then," said Fred. "But don't stop telling yourself that you're not afraid of her. Remember, that's your secret weapon."

Lizzy remained vigilant about keeping Fred's presence a secret. She would talk to him, play with him, do all sorts of fun things with him when Polly wasn't around, but as soon as her mother came on the scene, she froze up. Fred did not like this, but he knew it was for his own protection, so he had to accept the circumstances. He still played tricks on Polly, but he was finding them to be less and less satisfying since Lizzy nearly always got the blame (and accepted it quietly).

Things became a little more pleasant when Lizzy started attending a different elementary school. Polly had decided that the one she was in wasn't prestigious enough and so moved her to a small, expensive private school. Most of the students there were insufferably snobbish, but Lizzy made two rather good girlfriends and so it was worth it in the long run. Fred did not come with her to school much. He found it unbearably boring and Lizzy was not usually appreciative when he resorted to mayhem to liven things up. She was becoming a serious student and she would grumble that she didn't know how she was supposed to pass an English exam when her imaginary friend was hanging upside down from the ceiling making wisecracks all through the teacher's lesson. She stuck to her code of silence at school as well as at home, refusing to acknowledge his presence. She would resolutely shoulder the blame for his antics if it were called for, but he usually got an earful when she came home. This was not Fred's style at all. He didn't find it much fun to get Snotface in trouble when there was no purpose behind it and no glory in it for him.

On school days, he generally hung around the Cronin house and wreaked havoc there until Lizzy got home. This was a much more satisfying way of doing things because Lizzy was gone and so could not be blamed. The Mega-Beast often wondered out loud if their house wasn't possessed. Occasionally, Fred caught a glint in Nigel's eye that made him wonder if he didn't suspect who was behind the mischief. If he did, though, he didn't let on.

Two more years past. Lizzy turned eleven. Fred had now been with her for seven years, longer than he had ever been with any other child. Still Lizzy clung to him. Over the years, the nature of their relationship had been gradually changing. It was so subtle, it was practically imperceptible to both. This change was a very unusual thing with an imaginary friend and a charge. Most of the time, the friends were needed for such a limited period of time that they dealt with the children in only one stage of their lives: early childhood.

With Fred and Lizzy, this was not the case. At eleven, Lizzy was obviously no longer the same person that she had been at four. Her interests, preferences, and methods of coping were slowly evolving. While a mud pie might have comforted her at seven, at eleven it was merely an irritation. Fred was transforming from a playmate into a confidant and advisor. Lizzy always came to him first when she had a problem. Fred found himself making more and more trips to the mall and spending less and less time in the sandbox. The dolls and stuffed animals were gradually being replaced by pop music and fashion magazines. All of this was rather outside Fred's realm of experience, but he was game for it if it meant he got to stay with Snotface a little longer.

And of course things weren't completely different. Lizzy was still more than half child. She still loved to go play at the park, she was still keen for a good prank, she still screamed with laughter when Fred tickled her. He was still her best friend, despite the fact that she had branched out and had a small circle of friends at her school. They were all girls and Fred did not mind them coming around (although the giggling about boys got a bit old sometimes).

All in all, Fred was finding himself in new territory on an almost daily basis, but he was content. He knew his time with Lizzy was growing very short and he treasured every moment he had with her.

On the morning of Lizzy's twelfth birthday, Fred broke the record of having stayed with a charge longer than any imaginary friend ever had. Eight years, and still Lizzy showed no signs of tiring of him. Fred was due for a review with the Powers-That-Be that day and once again he was fighting the dread of losing her. It was even worse this time than it had been five years before. He knew the Powers-That-Be could cut him off from her at any moment. Judge Fair had said that they preferred to let children decide when to end things with their imaginary friends, but Fred had a feeling that the counsel had its limits.

He made a quick trip to Limbo before Lizzy awakened that morning and picked a bouquet of the brilliant flowers there. He brought them back and put them in a vase beside her bed so that they would be the first thing she saw when she woke up. This had become their own special birthday tradition. The flowers were the only true present Fred ever gave her (spit wads and wedgies didn't count, she said) and they were one of the few signs of his love for her that he ever let show. Lizzy loved them and treasured them more than any other present she received that day.

Fred arranged the flowers carefully and looked down at his sleeping charge. She looked so peaceful, fast asleep with her dark hair fanned out against the white pillow. Fred swallowed a lump in his throat. He wondered once again if this might be one of the last times he would see her. If the idea of parting from her had been difficult last time, it was now almost unbearable. He had been with her so long, he had practically forgotten what it was like to live without her. She had become the center of his whole world. He stooped and kissed her flushed cheek.

Without allowing himself to think about it any further, he shot like an arrow to Limbo. He landed with a thud and sat there for a moment, collecting his wits and rubbing the remaining moisture out of his eyes. Then he clenched his jaw and set off for the white counsel building. He had not gone very far before he encountered two people he knew. One was a small, lithe man with dark hair, dressed all in orange. The other was a large, fat, hairy man wearing a red tank top and shorts. He had a single, small curl right in the middle of his forehead. They both pulled up short in their tracks when they saw Fred.

"Drop Dead Fred! Well I'll be danged!" exclaimed the smaller man, breaking into a beam. "It's been ages since I've seen you up here!"

"Hello Velcrohead, Graggy." Fred greeted his two friends with a nod.

"Where have you been keeping yourself all this time?" Graggy wanted to know. "We literally haven't seen you in years."

"I'm on a case," Fred explained. "It's turned into a rather long one."

Velcrohead screwed up his face as if thinking hard. "The last I heard, you were with some little girl who had a real harpy for a mother. Are you still on that case or is it a different one?"

"It's the same case," Fred said quietly.

"Blimey, Fred, that's quite a stretch! How long has it been exactly?"

"Eight years today," replied Fred, swallowing hard.

"EIGHT years? Wow! That's got to be some kind of a record! Are you almost through?"

"I don't know. Probably. I'm on my way for a review right now."

"Whew!" said Graggy "I bet you're relived. Eight years. My cow, I've never had to be with a kid that long! She must have been a real basket case!"

"Not so much her, as her mother," said Fred trying not to flinch. "She's okay. I actually don't mind being with her at all."

"Well that's good!" declared Graggy. "It always helps if you like a kid. Say Fred, if you're not doing anything after you get done with the review, you wanna pop over to the Star Stream Bar with us and have a few drinks? We need to catch up!"

Fred swallowed again. "I'd love to Grag, but today is Lizzy's birthday and I've got to be with her. Especially since I may be leaving her soon."

Velcrohead was watching Fred closely. "Say Freddy," he said quietly. "You okay? You don't look so good. Is everything all right?"

Fred tried to smile, but ended up looking rather sick. "Never better Velcro," he said resolutely. "Listen, I'm gonna be late for my review. I'll catch you chickens later."

"Okay Fred," they said. "Take care!" They both stood an watched him as he disappeared down the street. Graggy turned back to Velcro. "I've never seen Fred act like that," he said nervously. "What d'you suppose is eating him?"

Velcro shook his head. "Dunno. But whatever it is, it's bad."

Fred made his way to the counsel building feeling like his feet were made of lead. Every step cost him an effort. When he reached the wall of portals, he stopped and found Lizzy's. She had waked up and was sitting in her bed, smelling his flowers and smiling. He watched her for a moment, his heart aching with love, then tore himself away and went on to the counsel's main room.

The review panel was there as usual, seated at their long table. Judge Fair glanced at Fred as he came in. Sagacity smiled at him. Fred took his position before the counsel and waited for the Judge to tell him to proceed. But this time the Judge did not say to. He sat looking over his notes and occasionally muttering to himself. The rest of the panel members sat silent.

Finally, Judge Fair looked up. "Well, Drop Dead Fred," he said. "This is an extraordinary day, both for you and for this counsel."

"Is it, sir?" inquired Fred, tonelessly.

The Judge actually laughed. "It certainly is. You've broken a record today! Eight years with the same companion! It's never been done before."

Fred cocked an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Well," said Judge Fair. "Let's have your report. I'm very curious to hear this one."

So Fred took a deep breath and proceeded. He had carefully planned out what he was going to say the night before. He talked at length about Lizzy's unhealthy relationship with Polly, emphasizing that he was often the only person she had to turn to. He mentioned Nigel's lack of involvement with Lizzy. He downplayed Lizzy's age and the changing nature of their relationship and he made no mention at all of the length of time he had been with her. He wound it up by saying that while he was pleased with the progress Lizzy was making, he thought she still had a way to go as far as emotional maturity (implying strongly that she still needed him).

The panel listened, taking notes all the while. When Fred had finished, there was a long silence. Judge Fair scribbled something rapidly in his notebook. Eventually he looked up. "Well Fred," he said. "That was a good report. You've done well these past eight years. You're doing well now. We have been watching you and Elisabeth Cronin and we think that you've had a very positive impact on her life."

Fred took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He could hear a 'but' coming.

"But," said Judge Fair, "I think we all know that the real question here today is this one: should you continue to stay with Miss Cronin or is it finally time for you to leave her?"

Fred said nothing.

Judge Fair scrutinized him over his spectacles. "How old is Miss Cronin again, Fred?"

"Twelve," murmured Fred. "She's twelve years old today."

"And she, eh, shows no sign of tiring of your company?"

"None that I can see, sir. I'm still her best friend. Most of the time I'm the only person she has to talk to."

"Has she no other friends?"

"She has a few girlfriends at school," said Fred slowly. "But they're really just the kind of friends she has fun with. They don't know how to help her cope with her mother. She doesn't confide in them."

"Are you sure about that Fred?"

Fred swallowed. "Pretty sure, sir. I've been a witness to quite a few of their -er- slumber parties and trips to the mall and whatnot. They tend to talk about pretty shallow stuff. Which boys like them, what hairstyles look good, what clothes are fashionable... drivel like that."

Several of the counsel members exchanged looks. Fred noticed their mouths twitching. He felt his face go very red. "I just go along to keep an eye on Lizzy," he exclaimed defensively.

Judge Fair lifted one eyebrow. "No one questioned your motives, Fred," he said. "However, isn't all that... well, rather a change from mud pies and hide-and-seek?"

"Maybe," said Fred stubbornly. "It's just another form of entertainment."

"Lizzy is getting older," said the Judge wisely.

"Well obviously!" retorted Fred. "It would be a bit strange if she stayed a little girl forever."

"Fred, we know this isn't what you want to hear, but don't you think perhaps it's about time Lizzy moved on... let you go? She'll be a teenager soon. It's not exactly normal for a teenager to have an imaginary friend."

Fred closed his eyes, not wanting to hear. "Whatever happened to letting kids decide for themselves whether or not they need us?" he countered.

"Well..." the Judge thought for a moment. "Most of the time that is the way it works. However... occasionally we do come across a case where a child will hold on too long to a friend and the relationship becomes... unhealthy."

"Unhealthy how?" demanded Fred.

"It's only happened a few times, but there have been a couple of cases of seriously disturbed children who clung to their imaginary friends and the relationship descended into something like schizophrenia. They had to be hospitalized and treated for mental illness..."

"But Lizzy's not 'seriously disturbed'! cried Fred, incensed. "She's perfectly normal in every way. She just needs someone to talk to... someone to make her laugh... someone to help her be strong. That's what I'm there for!"

"But don't you think it's time she found a real person to be all of that for her?" asked the Judge gently.

"Who?" demanded Fred. "Who is she going to find? Her father? He's hardly ever there! Her friends? Pish!They're a lot of little bubble brains..."

"She needs another adult whom she can talk to," said Judge Fair thoughtfully. "Like a trusted teacher or a close relative..."

"Well that would be great if she had one," said Fred witheringly. "But she doesn't. She has me. And I don't think she's ready for me to leave yet."

"Which brings us to another aspect of this case," said the Judge speaking rather loudly. "We have become concerned of late, Fred, that perhaps you are becoming too emotionally involved in this case. It's understandable that it could happen, with you being with her for so long. Nevertheless, we are concerned that you are no longer the most... objective companion for Elisabeth Cronin."

Fred closed his eyes. Here he had no defense, nothing. He knew he was too involved with Lizzy and he couldn't deny it... not even to himself.

"I'm - I'm fond of her, its true," he said in a desperate attempt at justification. "I can't help that. But have I done anything since I've been with Lizzy that makes me unfit to be her friend?"

"Aside from exhibiting reluctance to leave her, no," conceded the Judge.

"Haven't I always been there for her?" continued Fred, ignoring the last remark. "Haven't I helped her cope, helped her grow stronger? Haven't I kept her spirit alive?"

"This is all true," agreed Judge Fair.

"Well then, I ask you, if I'm doing my job, if Lizzy is happy and growing, what harm is there in me staying with her a little longer? What if she's just a special case who needs her friend longer than most kids? Think of the damage that might be done if I leave too soon? She's vulnerable, Judge. She's... fragile. I know how to protect her and take care of her."

"She needs to learn how to protect and take care of herself."

"At the age of twelve? Think about what you're saying, Judge. Would you really leave a little girl alone to cope with a Mega-Beast for a mother without anyone to take care of her?"

Judge Fair sighed hard. "You make a strong case for yourself, Drop Dead Fred," he said, glaring impressively. "However, the counsel is not convinced that you remaining with Elisabeth Cronin is the best thing for her. We are going to have a short recess and when we come back, we'll have made a decision."

Fred had to comply. He went out into the garden and watched Lizzy in her portal again. She was eating breakfast all alone, Polly being gone shopping and Nigel at work. He wished he was sitting there with her now, flicking milk at her or listening to her complain about her mother's latest insult. He watched her until Sagaciy called him to come back in.

The distance from the garden to the counsel room was the longest walk he had ever taken. He knew his fate hung in the balance. In moments he would know whether he could stay with his Snotface a while longer or if they were going to snatch him away from her forever.

He stood, dry mouthed and sweaty palmed before the panel, waiting for them to collect their notes and tell him their verdict. He saw Sagacity shoot him a look of sympathy and he felt his heart sink. Judge Fair cleared his throat.

"Drop Dead Fred, this counsel has collaborated and come to the decision that we need more time to review your case before we make a final decision." Fred could have sworn he saw him cast an irritated glance toward Sagacity. "Your circumstances are obviously complicated and we need to discuss the facts at greater lengths. You will receive a summons when we are ready to tell you our decision."

Fred stood stunned. He hadn't expected this. He looked toward Sagacity, but she seemed absorbed in her notes. "So... I'm free to go? Can I... can I... go back to Lizzy?"

"For the time being," snapped Judge Fair.

Fred nearly collapsed. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath. He wanted to yell for joy. Instead he turned around and made his way out of the building and through the garden. As soon as he was outside the gate, he willed himself back to Earth. The verdict wasn't everything he could've hoped for, but at least it had bought him some precious time. He wouldn't have to desert Lizzy today.

. . .

He materialized beside her in the kitchen where she was washing up the breakfast dishes. He snatched her up in his arms and spun her around, wet soapy hands and all. She screamed in shock. "Fred! What on earth are you doing? You scared me to death!"

"Happy birthday, Snotface!"

"Well thank you... I guess. Is your present to me heart failure?"

He was so happy he was grinning all over. "It's just a beautiful day, isn't it?"

She looked at him bemusedly. "Sure it is. Fred, what's gotten into you?"

"I've just had a really good morning, that's all. C'mon Snotface, let's go pick all the neighbor's flowers and make a BIG bouquet. Then we'll make you a crown out of them and you can be the queen of the day. I'll be your court jester and the Mega-Beast can be your slave."

Lizzy laughed. "Sounds like fun, Fred, but I'm meeting Shelly and Lisa at the mall in a little while and we're going shopping. Daddy gave me some birthday money."

"Oh well, fine then, we'll do that!" Fred was in such a good mood, he would've gone to dig graves with her if that was what she wanted to do."

"Oh... are you coming?" asked Lizzy a little awkwardly.

"Of course I am!" said Fred cheerfully. "What Snotface wants to do on her birthday, Snotface gets to do."

Lizzy sighed, but she didn't have the heart to disappoint him when he was in such good spirits. "Okay Fred, you can come, but please behave yourself? Hmm? I don't want to be embarrassed today, not at the mall. Maybe I'll go and do something nice and destructive with you later on."

"Sure, not a problem," said Fred happily.

"You promise?" She held out her pinky.

He took it and they shook. "I promise Snotface. For your special day, I'll be good."

"Thank you."

For the most part he kept his promise. He wandered around after Lizzy and her two friends, occasionally making wisecracks which would make Lizzy laugh at odd times, but overall, he was an angel (in his opinion). He waited patiently while Lizzy tried on clothes, admired jewelry and ate too much ice cream in the food court. Her friends giggled vapidly at every cute male that walked by, but Fred did not care. It was enough for him that he got to be near his Snotface.

After the mall they went to see a movie and then the girls went their separate ways. Nigel and Polly were home when Lizzy arrived. Nigel gently kissed his daughter when she thanked him again for the birthday money and told him what a wonderful time she'd had with her friends. Fred noticed that Nigel seemed even more distant than usual and there was a tension between him and Polly that could've been cut with a knife. He guessed that they had been fighting again.

Polly had made Lizzy her favorite dinner and a birthday cake. She managed to be fairly pleasant to Lizzy the rest of the evening so Fred opted to leave her alone. After dinner, Fred and Lizzy walked to the park together and in the twilight they sat on the swings and talked over the day. That is, Lizzy talked and Fred mostly listened. He was content to do so. It made him happy just being able to sit and listen to Snotface's voice. He knew he might not have much more time to hear it.

"Fred?" said Lizzy after she had exhausted the subject of the mall. "Why did you say you had a good morning this morning? What happened?"

Fred was caught off guard. "Oh... I just did... you know. The sun was shining, the birds were singing... I chased some pigeons. Just a good morning..."

Lizzy looked at him skeptically. "Is that all?"

Fred swallowed. "Yep!" he said brightly. "Why?"

Lizzy shook her head. "You seemed really... elated over something. I was just wondering what it was."

"Oh," said Fred. "Well, it was just a good morning. Did you have a good day, Snotface?"

Lizzy smiled. "Yeah... I really did. Thanks for being nice today, Fred. I really enjoyed having you along." She looked at him from under her eyelashes. "You know, I like Shelly and Lisa, but they're just not you Fred. You make everything more fun."

Fred flushed with pleasure. He said nothing but he took her hand and squeezed it. Lizzy leaned her head against the thick chain of the swing and looked up into the darkening sky. "I wish other people could see you, Fred."

He looked at her startled. "What?"

"I wish other people could see you the way I can. It would be so nice to be able to talk to you when I wanted... introduce you to my friends. I think other people would really like you, Fred. You're so much fun."

Fred cleared his throat. "Well that would kind of defeat the purpose of my being your imaginary friend, wouldn't it, now? I don't think I would be much good to you if I wasn't imaginary."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing I couldn't stay at your house because your mother would be able to see me and call the police on me whenever she wanted, right?"

"True," conceded Lizzy.

"And I couldn't play half the tricks on her that I do... and I couldn't come visit you whenever I wanted. And I'd never be able to hang upside down in your science class room and make fun of Mr Baker's tie..."

Lizzy giggled. "I guess you're right Fred. I just sometimes think that it would be fun... well... to have you for a real friend."

"I'm real to you, aren't I?" asked Fred rather gruffly.

Lizzy smiled at him. "Yes, you are."

"Well there you go then."

Lizzy said no more. Fred looked up at the sky. "It's getting late. We'd better get you home."

As they left the park, Lizzy slipped her hand into Fred's. "Fred... thanks for always being there for me. You're the best friend in the world -- even if you are imaginary."

Fred felt a lump in his throat. He put his arm protectively around Lizzy and hugged her to his side. "No problem, Snotface," was all he could manage. They walked home hand-in-hand through the soft purple evening.

. . .

A week went by. Fred heard no word from The-Powers-That-Be. He spent every waking moment he possibly could with Lizzy. His boisterous good mood evaporated after his initial elation and he became anxious and moody. Lizzy noticed and wanted to know what was the matter with him. He wished desperately that he could talk to her about it, but he didn't want to upset her. Polly and Nigel were so at odds with each other they could scarcely be in the same room together without fighting. It was taking its toll on Lizzy. She spent most of her time either shut up in her room or at the park. Fred stayed close by her and did everything he could to comfort and distract her. In a way it helped him get his mind off his own anxieties.

Then one day while Lizzy was at her music lesson, Fred had a visit from Sagacity. He hadn't been back to Limbo since the review and he was extremely startled when she suddenly appeared beside him while he was sitting on the wrought iron bench in the backyard, moodily watching the pigeons peck for bugs.

"Hello, Fred."

He jumped a mile. "Sagacity! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

"Well I can see that, Miss Obvious. Why have you come to see me?"

"I wanted to talk to you -- about Lizzy."

"Alright then."

Sagacity sighed. "Fred, the counsel has been discussing your case for over a week now. I say 'discussing' but I think 'fighting' would be a better word for it. I've never seen so many strong opinions over a case."

"Well, what are they saying?"

"A lot of things. Some people think you've been with Lizzy long enough and you should leave her immediately. Some people aren't sure and say you should have a little more time with her to see how things pan out." She paused as though thinking. "And then there's me. I don't think Lizzy's ready for you to go at all and you should definitely stay with her -- but I'm the minority."

"How much of the minority?"

"Well, the only minority, Fred. Nobody else is as convinced as I am that Lizzy still needs you. They're hung up on the age thing. I personally don't think it's an issue -- not with Lizzy anyway -- but the others are terribly worried about it. Not without good reason too."

Fred sighed. "Why are you telling me all this, Sagacity?"

"Because I think you have a right to know what's going on. You've been with Lizzy a long time and it only makes sense that you should be concerned about her well-being. The rest of the counsel might call it being too emotionally involved, I call it being a responsible imaginary friend. You seem to know intuitively that Lizzy isn't well-adjusted enough to be on her own yet. I think the counsel should pay attention to that."

"I thought that you thought that I needed to be as objective as possible."

"You do need to be. But I haven't seen you behave in any way that makes me think you're not being objective. Watching you two over the years has made me realize that it is possible to care about someone and be objective at the same time." She smiled at him suddenly. "It takes a very special kind of imaginary friend to be that way. Lizzy is lucky to have you, Fred."

Fred said nothing. He thought that if Sagacity had any inkling of just how much he really loved Lizzy, she might not be so convinced that he was being objective.

"So, what's going to happen?" he asked moodily. "When do we find out the verdict?"

"Soon," said Sagacity. "Judge Fair wants to try to reach a decision in the next couple of days. I just wanted to give you a chance to prepare yourself Fred. Honestly... it doesn't look good. You may need to prepare yourself for the worst."

Fred closed his eyes, swallowing hard. Sagacity patted him on the shoulder. "But we don't know for sure, Fred. There's still a chance..."

"Thanks, Sagacity."

She looked at him sympathetically. "You're welcome. Now try not to worry about it too much. Try to enjoy these next few days with Lizzy as much as you can. She needs you right now."

"I know."

"I have to go Fred. I'll see you at the hearing." She vanished.

Fred fought his mounting depression as hard as he could. He was grateful to Sagacity for her honesty, but he almost wished she hadn't visited. He would rather have spent his final days with Lizzy in blissful ignorance.

. . .

Three days later, he felt it: the call. It was something that all imaginary friends experienced from time-to-time. It was like a signal in the brain to come home, to return to Limbo. It was powerful and unmistakable and irresistible. Lizzy had left that morning to go with Polly to a summer fundraiser for Polly's garden club. They would be gone all day and Fred, much as he wanted to be with Lizzy, had opted not to go. He was so low spirited that he knew he would get no fun out of tormenting the snobby ladies as he might have otherwise. He hugged Lizzy very tightly before she left, something he rarely did. "Bye Snotface," he whispered. "Have fun."

"What's wrong, Fred?" whispered Lizzy. "You seem so down."

"It's nothing. Go on with you, have fun."

"Are you sure?"

He made an attempt to be his old self. "Positive! Now quit being an old, fussy woman and go on. Don't let the Mega-Beast eat you today. Remember the magic words!"

So Lizzy left him, obviously not happy, but powerless to make him talk to her. It was soon after that that he felt the call. He didn't want to go. He wanted to fight it, but he could not. He closed his eyes and let the force of Limbo pull him there.

He landed right outside the garden gate. He slowly went inside. If he had been marching to a death sentence at the guillotine, he couldn't have felt worse. Inside, the counsel was all seated at their table. Fred came and stood before them. Judge Fair looked up. "Well Fred, the panel has made it's decision concerning your charge. Are you ready to hear it?"

Fred said nothing. He felt light-headed, almost sick. He couldn't look at Sagacity because he knew he would see his fate in her eyes.

Judge Fair cleared his throat. "Drop Dead Fred, after much deliberation and --ahem-- disagreement, this panel finally decided yesterday that it would be in Miss Elisabeth Cronin's best interest that you leave her and take on a new assignment --"

"NO!" Fred cried out wildly.

"We came to this decision based on your charge's age and growing maturity," continued the Judge loudly. "Miss Cronin must move on to the next stage in her life, and while we see that there could be benefits from your staying with her, we foresee that there could be much harm done too. So based on this, we have decided that you must now leave her and allow her to mature without your influence."

"No, no, no!!" Fred cried. "You don't understand! She's not ready! She still needs me, I know she does! She told me just the other day that I was her best friend and that she wished I was real! How can I desert her now?"

"We're sorry, Fred," spoke up one of the other counsel members, an older woman he knew to be called 'Prudence'. "We knew this would be hard on you, but you must think about Lizzy's well-being. If she continues to have an imaginary friend, she will be unlikely to develop close friendships with real people. She needs that."

"She does have real friends!" protested Fred. "I mean, she's not the most popular girl at school, but she has friends. She does things with them."

"She needs to branch out more," said Judge Fair. "We are afraid that if you stay, she will never do that."

"I'm more afraid that she won't branch out because I'm going to leave her, betray her, hurt her terribly!" cried Fred. "Can't you see that?"

"I admit that this is an... unusually painful parting between an imaginary friend and a charge," said Judge Fair slowly. "And for that I am genuinely sorry. It is unusual for there to be so much distress involved. I wish there was something I could do to change that."

"Please, please don't do this," pleaded Fred. "You're going to break her heart. She's so vulnerable right now. Please let me stay."

"I'm sorry, Fred. The counsel has made its final decision and it must stand firm. We will allow you to return to Lizzy once more to tell her farewell, but then you must leave her for good."

Fred's eyes were burning with tears again. He didn't know how much longer he could control himself. He wanted to throw himself on the ground and cry like a baby.

"Fred... I hate to bring this up, but we realize that there is probably going to be a need for... the ritual."

Fred looked at him and felt his face turn grey. "No," he whispered. "No, not that! You're not going to make her -- her --" He trailed off, unable to finish. He felt a scorching tear slip from his eye and roll down his cheek.

"I'm sorry Fred, but I'm afraid it's the only way this time. Otherwise, you probably won't be able to leave."

The ritual. Fred had heard of it, but he had never had to go through with it before. The ritual was hardly ever observed anymore. Only in cases where there had to be an intentional parting between an imaginary friend and a charge was it used. Most of the time the friends just quietly and painlessly faded out of the picture. And now they were going to force it on Fred. They were going to make his Snotface kiss him and say his name, thus banishing him from her life forever. He couldn't imagine anything more cruel.

"Fred, you'd best go now and get it over with," Prudence was saying. He heard pity in her voice. He looked up and for the first time, his eyes met Sagacity's. He was surprised to see that she was wiping away tears. Somehow it made everything seem final. It was over. Nothing more could be done. He was going to have to leave his best friend, the only person he had ever truly loved. Without another word he turned and left the counsel room.

He didn't return to Earth immediately. He couldn't. He dragged himself into the garden, away into a quiet corner and there he wept as though his heart would break. He thought it was broken. It was the worst feeling in the whole world, a feeling that he, happy-go-lucky Drop Dead Fred had never experienced and never thought he would experience. It was wrong somehow. He wasn't supposed to feel anguish like this. He was an imaginary friend, not a real human.

After a while he felt he had cried himself dry. He knew he was going to have to get it over with sooner or later. He thought there was no point in torturing himself any longer. He washed his face in one of the garden fountains, dried it, and forced himself back to Earth, back to Lizzy one more time.

His bearings must have been a little off, because he accidentally materialized in Polly and Nigel's bedroom instead of Lizzy's. He was standing there, collecting himself when he noticed something strange. Nigel's closet doors stood open. There seemed to be a lot of clothes gone. Hangers were strewn over the bed and chairs. The dresser top seemed oddly bare, as if a lot of things were missing. Fred took all this in in an instant, but it didn't really register with him. His mind was eaten up with the dreadful thing he was about to be forced to do.

He crossed the hall to Lizzy's bedroom and was about to open the door when he heard a strange noise. It took him a moment to identify it. Then he realized: it was someone crying. No, not crying, more like wailing. Terrible, heartbroken wailing. He realized it was Lizzy. In a flash he opened the bedroom door and was inside.

It took him a moment to spot Lizzy. She was crouched on the floor beside her bed, holding onto her chest and crying her eyes out. She looked up when Fred came in and then hid her face in her hands and burst into fresh tears. Fred stood for a moment, utterly stunned. Did she know somehow? How could she possibly know?

In an instant, he was beside her, his arm around her, supporting her. "Lizzy, what's wrong? Oh honey what's wrong?"

She didn't answer. She just kept holding onto her chest and crying as though she would die. Fred felt frightened. He had never, in all the years he'd known her, seen her cry like this. "Lizzy, honey, tell me what's the matter... Please?"

Finally, she lifted her swollen, tear-stained face and looked at him. "Daddy left," she sobbed. "He's gone."

"Gone...? Gone where?"

"We don't know. He was here this morning when we left. But when we got home all his clothes were gone and he'd left a note for Mother. I don't know what it said, but she told me that he's gone... and he's not coming back..." She sank down, sobbing terribly.

Fred crushed her in his arms then. He gathered her to him and held her against his chest, rocking her to and fro. "Oh Lizzy," he whispered, tears smarting in his own eyes. "Oh Sweetheart... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

They sat in the floor for a long time. Fred held her close in his arms, kissing her hair and comforting her as best he could. At last, after what seemed like hours, she grew quiet, worn out from weeping. She lay against him, utterly spent with grief. He held her, unwilling to let her go. After a while she lifted her head and looked at him. "I'm so tired, Fred," she whispered. "And I'm thirsty."

He nodded. He helped her stand up and took her into the bathroom and got her a cup of water. While she was drinking it, he got her nightgown out of it's drawer and brought it to her. He turned the bed sheets down while she was putting it on. Then he went back and gently brushed out her tangled hair while she brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then he led her back to her bed, helped her lie down and tucked the covers in around her. "Stay with me, Fred," Lizzy whispered. "Please don't leave me." He knelt beside her bed and smoothed her hair back from her face.

"I won't," he said quietly. "I won't. I'll stay here all night if you want me to."

"Please, Fred."

He kissed her in reply. He took her hand and laid his head down on the pillow beside hers. She sighed and closed her eyes. In a few minutes she had sunk into an exhausted sleep. Fred stayed beside her, holding her hand and stroking her hair. After a while, he too fell asleep, utterly drained from the events of that day. Polly looked in after a while and saw that Lizzy was asleep. She came over to the bed and looked down at her for a while, a strange expression on her face. Then she turned and swiftly left the room.

. . .

Hours and hours later, Fred woke up stiff and sore. He was still on his knees beside Lizzy's bed, his head on the pillow beside hers. She was still holding onto his hand in her sleep. Fred looked groggily at the clock. It was 5:30 in the morning. They had slept about eleven hours. Fred gently took his hand out of Lizzy's and painfully climbed to his feet. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. He sat on the bed beside Lizzy and watched her in the gray light. She lay motionless in her bed like a broken flower. Her poor little face was still swollen with crying. Fred felt something like fury growing in his heart. This child, this little girl whom he loved more than anything, was being slowly crushed to death by selfish grown-ups around her. Her father had deserted her, her mother didn't love her (or didn't know how to show her love). She had no other family. And now, some lofty beings whom she didn't even know existed were going to take away the one person she had to rely on, her only friend.

Fred got up and went over to the window. A muscle was working in his jaw. He stood looking out at the growing light for a few minutes. Then he turned swiftly. He rummaged around in Lizzy's desk drawer until he found paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled something on it and placed it on the pillow beside Lizzy's head. It said simply "Be back soon. Don't be afraid. Fred." Then he shut his eyes and willed himself to Limbo once more. He would be damned if he stood by and let the Powers-That-Be wreck his darling's life.

He landed in Limbo with a crash. He was on his feet and running before he even had time to think. He tore through the twisting streets. It was early morning here, just as it was on Earth and there were a few people out. He nearly knocked several of them over in his haste. They turned to stare after him, some calling out indignantly. He ignored them and continued at his breakneck pace. He didn't stop running until he reached the garden and bolted through it's gates. He ran right up to the large, painted wooden doors and burst through them without knocking. He tore into the counsel room and skidded to a halt before the long table.

There was nobody there.

Fred bent double, holding his knees and gasping for breath. He looked up and down the room, but it was deserted. He knew that the counsel members lived in apartments over the big hearing room. He stood up straight and yelled at the top of his lungs. "FAIR!!!!"

His voice echoed off the walls and reverberated around the room. There was no answer. "FAIR!!" Fred screamed again. He walked up to the table and began to beat on it with his hand. "Fair! Judge Fair! Sagacity, Prudence!" He shouted until his voice was hoarse. After a few minutes he saw a door to one side of the room slowly creak open. Sagacity came through it holding a candle and looking shocked. She was in a long white nightgown.

"Fred?" She whispered incredulously. "Fred, what are you doing here?"

"I want to see Judge Fair!" Fred bellowed. "Actually I want to see all of you and I'm not leaving until I do!"

"Fred... they're all in their beds asleep. Can't it wait?"

"No! It cannot and it will not! If I have to scream this place down, I will until you've all seen me. I've got a matter to take care of and I won't budge until it's taken care of!"

At that moment, Judge Fair appeared behind Sagacity also holding a candle. He looked furious. He was in a long nightshirt with an old-fashioned night cap on his head. Long, yellow stockings came up to his knobby knees. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Fred would've burst out laughing.

"Drop Dead Fred, what is the meaning of this? Do you know what time it is?"

"I sure do, Judge. It's time for me to get a few things straight with you and the rest of this counsel. I'm not leaving until I've spoken to you all."

"This is highly irregular!"

"Yeah, well, get used to it, because it's about to get even more irregular! Ah, there's Prudence! Where's the rest of your cronies? Here's another one, good, good!"

One by one the rest of the panel were trickling in, alarmed by the noise. They were all clad in various states of night gear and they all looked extremely miffed when they saw that it was Fred who was making the racket. Judge Fair stood watching the scene, his arms crossed, a vein standing out in his forehead.

When the whole panel had arrived, Judge Fair stepped forward and looked at Fred. "Well, Drop Dead Fred, we're all here, what do you want?"

"I want you to reverse the verdict you decided for me and Elisabeth Cronin," said Fred firmly.

"Fred, that's impossible. We already told you. We know you weren't happy about it, but this is getting ridiculous."

"Do you know what has happened in the last twenty-four hours?" Fred shouted. "Do you?"

The panel members looked at each other in bewilderment. "You don't do you?" Fred was white with rage. "You say you keep such a close tab on the friends and their charges and yet you don't know what has happened in my Lizzy's life. You didn't even bother to check on her yesterday."

"Fred, we have other cases to hear. We can't watch everything all the time."

"Well, I'm going to tell you what happened. In the time that I came to see you and then went back to tell my Lizzy goodbye, her father deserted her family. Yes, that's right deserted her! When I got back all his clothes were gone and he'd left the Mega-Beast a note saying that he was leaving and not coming back. I came back with the instructions to tell Lizzy that I had to leave her forever, only to find that her father already beat me to it."

The counsel stood silent, shocked.

Fred crossed his arms. "Well, what do you suppose I did? Do you think I took one look at her, lying in her bedroom floor, crying her eyes out and said, 'Well Snotface, it's been fun but I've got to leave you forever now. Sorry your dad and I had to do it in the same day, but you know, life's tough. Now kiss me goodbye and I'll piss off!'"

The counsel members were quiet still. Some of them looked as though they would be sick. Fred was shaking from head to toe. "Because if that's what you think I did, you're all out of your minds. I stayed with her, I held her, I comforted her. I knelt by her bed and held her hand all night. And do you know what? I was the only one who did. Her beast of a mother let her lie up there and cry by herself for hours; never even popped her head in to ask if Lizzy was okay."

Fred took a deep breath and his voice lowered menacingly. "Now," he said. "Judge Fair, I want you to think long and hard about that verdict you issued this afternoon. If you force me to leave Lizzy (and I tell you right now, you will have to force me to leave her; as in drag me away in chains if necessary) you are going to have a lot of pain and suffering on your conscience. You just might effectively ruin a little girl's life. So I want you to think long and hard about this decision. And then I want you to make the right one; that is to let me stay with Elisabeth Cronin until she is ready for me to leave; not when you think she's ready. And if that means I have to stay with her until she's eighteen years old, then that's what it means."

Judge Fair was silent. His face was totally inscrutable behind its spectacles, beard and nightcap. The other counsel members stood around looking at each other awkwardly. After a moment the Judge sighed and went over to the table. He sat down in the nearest chair and looked hard at Fred. "This is highly irregular," he said again. "You do know that I could hold you in contempt of court, Fred? I could have you written up or incarcerated or some other manner of punishment."

Fred stared back at him stonily.

"However, contrary to what you seem to think about me, I am not a cruel person, Fred. No one here is. We were unaware that your case was going to take the direction that it has. Obviously, in light of the new circumstances, we need to reconsider our verdict. Will you be patient enough to grant us a few minutes to deliberate?"

"I'll grant you a few minutes, but I don't understand what there is to deliberate about. I told you, I'm not leaving Lizzy unless you chain me in a dungeon and leave me there to rot."

"Please spare us the theatrics, Fred," said the Judge wearily. "We have to follow some sort of protocol here. If you'll excuse me, I need to consult with the rest of the panel. Please wait over there."

Fred went to the corner where the Judge pointed and waited rigidly. The counsel gathered around the table, shuffling through papers and whispering amongst themselves. Fred saw Sagacity shoot him an anxious look several times. After a while, the Judge cleared his throat and stood up behind the table. "Drop Dead Fred, come and stand before us, please."

Fred obeyed.

The Judge studied him for a moment as though trying to make up his mind about him. "Well Fred, it seems that we are not as hard-hearted as you think we are. In light of the changes in Elisabeth Cronin's life, this counsel has deemed it necessary that you stay with her and help her through her parent's separation. I think you should know, this is not a normal procedure at all. Countless other children and adolescents cope with divorce and separation every day; and they do it without the aid of an imaginary friend. However, your Elisabeth's circumstances are... unusually lonely. She is a sensitive young girl and she seems to have an unusual bond with you. In my opinion, you are too attached to her for your own good, but perhaps that is exactly what she needs right now: someone who is willing to care for her unconditionally. You seem unusually attune with her emotional needs and she needs that too. We will allow you to return to her for the present time."

Fred leaned against the wall, breathing hard. He almost felt dizzy with relief. Judge Fair went on, "Perhaps we might consider this... an experiment. We will see what the outcome is of an older girl like Lizzy keeping her imaginary friend. Hopefully it will all turn out for the best; but Fred, I will warn you, if we see any sign of instability in her, we will remove you immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well," Judge Fair slammed his mallet down on the table, not because it was necessary but simply because he seemed to need to vent his feelings on something. "This case is DISMISSED... I hope for a long time. I don't want to see your face in here unless you are called for, Drop Dead Fred. Is this understood?"

"Perfectly," Fred sighed. "I'm more than happy to oblige, sir."

"Good. Go away then and let us get what little sleep we have left to us. We will be keeping an eye on you, Fred. So you take exceptional care of that little girl of yours."

"Yes SIR!"

"Go!"

And Fred was gone. Back to Earth, back to Lizzy's room he sped, his heart singing, aflame with joy. He knew he wasn't returning to the happiest of circumstances... but at least he was returning. That was all that mattered. He would be with Lizzy.

She was still asleep when he landed in her room. He was thankful for that. He hadn't wanted her to wake and find him gone. He snatched up the note on her pillow, crumpled it and threw it in the trash. Then he sat down beside her bed and waited for her to awaken.

She did, slowly and painfully, as though she were struggling up from a great depth. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him crouched beside her, his chin resting on his arms. He smiled at her gently. "Hi Snotface."

She sat up rubbing her eyes. "Fred? Have you been there all night?"

He sat on the bed beside her. "I told you I would be, didn't I?"

She sighed and rested her forehead against his arm. "Thanks Fred."

"You okay?"

"I-I don't know." They were silent for a moment and then she looked up at him and he saw the heartbreak in her eyes again. "He's gone," she whispered.

"I know." He stroked her hair, thankful that she didn't know how close she had come to losing him as well. He hated to see Lizzy in so much pain. He decided that she needed something to distract her, even if it was just for a few hours.

"Snotface, let's get out of here for a while. You need to get away from the house. I don't want you to sit around here being miserable all day. I'm taking you to breakfast."

Lizzy looked at him. "I don't really feel like breakfast, Fred."

"I know. But it'll be good for you. C'mon, up you get. The Mega-Beast doesn't need to know."

So Lizzy got dressed while Fred rummaged through Polly's purse for some money. He didn't consider it stealing since it was for Lizzy. He figured it was the least he could do for her. He made sure Polly wasn't around and then snuck Lizzy out of the house.

They went to a little diner in their neighborhood. Lizzy ordered breakfast for one, plus a cup of cocoa for Fred. It was early still and there were hardly any people in the place. Lizzy sat quietly in the crook of Fred's arm and drank her orange juice and stared out the window.

"Where do you suppose he is?" she said softly.

Fred hugged her close. "Don't know."

She was silent for a few minutes. "Fred, d'you... d'you think he left because of me?"

Fred looked at her in horror. "Elisabeth Cronin! How could you even think such a thing? You know your dad loved you! You know that!"

She leaned against his chest and squeezed her eyes shut. A tear slipped down her cheek. "I've done so many naughty things."

Fred held her tightly. "You just did what any kid in your situation would do to cope. I'm pretty sure your dad knew that. He never minded us having a bit of fun. It's always your mum fussing about it. Snotface, I hate to disappoint you, but I'm pretty sure she's the reason why Nigel left. Can you blame him, really? It must be horrible having to put up with a wife like that every day. I guess he finally got enough."

"I wish he'd taken me with him," murmured Lizzy.

"Me too, Snotface. Me too."

The waitress brought over Lizzy's breakfast then. She looked rather concernedly at the little girl who was sitting all by herself and appeared to be talking to thin air.

"Here you go, Honey. Sunny-side up eggs with bacon and toast. Is there anything else I can get you?"

"No thank you, ma'am," said Lizzy politely.

The waitress hesitated. "Is - is everything all right, honey? Who are you talking to? Where are your parents?"

Lizzy looked up at the waitresses kindly face and for once in her life, was too tired and sad to do anything but tell the truth. "I live just a few blocks over. My dad left us yesterday and I'm talking to my imaginary friend about it. He's taking care of me."

The waitress looked rather stunned for a moment, then to Fred's great surprise, she smiled compassionately. "Oh I see," she said gently. "Well, I'm sorry to hear about your dad. Listen, you enjoy your breakfast and let me know if there's anything else I can get you. Okay?"

"Okay. Could you get Fred some more cocoa?"

The waitress looked down at the empty mug which was sitting a little to Lizzy's left. "Who's Fred?"

"He's my imaginary friend."

"Oh I see and he's the one drinking the cocoa?"

"Yes ma'am."

The waitress disappeared with a twitching mouth. Fred looked at Lizzy in amazement. "I can't believe you just did that!"

Lizzy sighed and took a bite of egg. "Sometimes it's easier just to tell the truth, Fred."

. . .

Polly was served with divorce papers from Nigel a week later. She dealt with it as she had the entire ordeal: coldly, bitterly, and with utter selfishness. Never once did she ask Lizzy how she was coping. Never once did she attempt to comfort her. Fred was left alone to pick up the pieces of Lizzy's broken heart. He did so to the best of his abilities, loving Lizzy and hating the Mega-Beast more and more all the time.

That was the single worst summer of Lizzy's life. She spent half of it crying in Fred's arms and the other half writing long letters to her father which she never mailed. It was a hard summer for Fred too. He was grappling with so many new and difficult things. He had never had the responsibility of helping an adolescent girl deal with her parents divorce. Sometimes he felt like he made things up as he went along. He never went back to Limbo anymore. He stayed with Lizzy all day and slept curled up in her armchair at night and woke up with a stiff neck every morning. There were times when he looked in the mirror and was shocked to see the tired, drawn face there. He didn't look like himself... not like the happy, carefree Drop Dead Fred of old. He looked like... a grown-up. It always sent a shudder of horror down his spine and he would turn away determined to go do something totally irresponsible and destructive. Then he would see Lizzy welling up over something that reminded her of her father and the prank would be forgotten as he went to comfort her.

A few weeks after the divorce was finalized, Fred found something that made him hate Polly Cronin even more than ever. Lizzy had to go to a back-to-school orientation with her mother and Fred was left by himself for the day. The first thing he did was crash on Lizzy's bed and sleep for a few hours. He never thought he would see the day when he, Drop Dead Fred, master of mayhem, would prefer sleep to causing mischief, but he was drained, emotionally and physically.

When he woke up he was hungry and went to the kitchen to raid the fridge. Polly always marveled at how much dainty little Elisabeth seemed to be able to eat, not knowing that most of it's consumption was the work of a hungry imaginary friend with a not-so-imaginary appetite. When Fred had finished with the fridge, he wanted desert and went through Polly's desk to see if he could find any candy stashed there. He knew the Mega-Beast occasionally hid chocolates in odd places. While he was rummaging around amidst the papers and bills, he found a letter addressed to Lizzy. It was in Nigel's handwriting. Fred eyed it suspiciously. He was quite sure Lizzy had never seen this letter. If she had, she had not mentioned it to him. It was very inconsistent with Lizzy's current behavior to keep anything from Fred, much less something as monumental as a letter from her father. He turned it over. It was opened. A tendril of suspicion curled itself around Fred's heart. He decided to put it in her room in case she hadn't seen it.

She hadn't. She saw it sitting on her pillow when she got home and turned pale with excitement. Fred was sitting in the easy chair, watching closely. She snatched it up turning it over in her hands. "Fred! This is from Dad! Did you open it?"

"No, Snotface."

"Well, it's addressed to me, but it's been opened."

Fred said quietly, "Lizzy, I found that in your mother's desk. She's been hiding it from you."

Lizzy looked at him disbelieving for a moment. "Why would she do that?"

"I don't know."

Lizzy took the letter out of the envelope and began to read. After a few sentences, she sank onto the bed and finished it with a shaking hand. When she was through, she looked up with tears running quietly down her face. Fred came and sat beside her. She handed it to him. "Read it."

He obeyed. It wasn't long, but it said the things that needed to be said. Nigel told Lizzy over and over how much he loved her. He assured her that he hadn't left because of her. He told her that he thought she was the most beautiful, talented, perfect little daughter he could ever hope to have and that he would miss her terribly. He put an address at the end and asked her to write him back. He ended it with a P.S. "By the way, if Drop Dead Fred is still around, tell him to take good care of you for me and that he has my permission to dump as much mud on the table as he wants."

Fred stared at it in awe. He looked up at Lizzy who was half-laughing through her tears. "He loves me, Fred. He's not mad at me. It's all I wanted to hear him say."

Fred drew her close and tucked her head under his chin. "Of course he's not mad at you, Snotface. Who could ever be mad at you? You just won't listen to me..."

Lizzy laughed shakily again. "I can't believe you got a mention in there. I'll be sure to tell him you're still around..."

"And taking care of you like he asked," said Fred.

"Yes."

Lizzy was quiet for a moment, reading over her precious letter again. "Fred," she whispered. "Do you realize that if you hadn't found this I would probably have never seen it? I would've gone my whole life wondering if Daddy left because of me... if he ever loved me at all. Now I won't have to... because you found this."

"No thanks to the Mega-Beast," growled Fred.

Lizzy closed her eyes and two big tears fell from them. "I don't know why Mother would do this... why would she hide this from me? Fred, I think she hates me sometimes. I don't know why, but I really think she does. I don't trust her Fred, not one little bit."

"You shouldn't."

"I don't."

"Good."

"Fred?"

"Yes, Snotface?"

"Thank you."

He squeezed her hard. "Anything for you, Lizzy. Anything."