Author's Note: Previous disclaimers still apply. So, three cheers for speedy updates, right? I'd like to thank you guys again for taking the time to read and review. Consider this fluffy chapter a token of my appreciation.

Chapter Six

With Red fast asleep and snoring softly, Liz gradually inched her way over, even closer to him. Seeking reassurance from his sleeping form, she slipped her hand away from his, and wedged it between the buttons of his flannel pajama top. His chest hair was both thicker and softer than she had imagined. If Red woke up, this was a dangerous position for her to be in, but she felt bold enough to proceed anyway. Slowly, she slid her hand further between the buttons, until her palm rested directly on the surprisingly-hot skin over his heart. She splayed her fingers, and it seemed to beat a little harder.

Or was it just her imagination?

For hours, neither moved, but Red murmured unintelligably from time to time. Liz strained her ears, trying to understand, half-expecting him to unwittingly reveal his secrets to her while he dreamed. When daylight began to break through the cracks in the curtains, Liz pulled her hand back and sat up. She reached toward the night stand and turned off her alarm, an hour before it was set to go off. She wanted to go downstairs to brew some coffee, but there was no way she'd be able to untie the rope without waking Red, so she picked up her phone and checked the news while she waited.

Right before her alarm would have sounded, Liz took the opportunity to scratch off yet another item from her to-do list. She laid back down beside Red and grazed his scalp with her fingertips to gently rouse him. The texture of his closely-shorn hair felt exactly as she anticipated, and her immediate thought was that she should have used her whole hand, and not just her fingertips.

Ah, well, maybe next time? (Yes, she had already decided that there would definitely be a "next time")

She wasn't given the chance to revel in the moment, because it quickly became clear that Red doesn't wake up gently. Startled, his eyes snapped open and he jolted upward, only to feel Liz's palm gently flatten over his forehead, effectively grounding him in place.

With eyes blinking rapidly in confusion, Red turned his head, still under Liz's palm, to see her propped up on her elbow, the corners of her lips turned slightly upward. "Hey," she said.

With a yawn, Red stretched his arms outward, and Liz lifted her hand. His brow furrowed. "Lizzie?" He saw a mixture of sympathy and concern swimming in her eyes, and they silently told him everything he needed to know. He sat up quickly and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Do you need anything?"

He decided to briefly put off the necessary discussion, and instead replied glibly, "Actually, yes. The bathroom." Red could see right through her cavalier airs. She was obviously traumatized, and he hated putting her through this.

Liz sat up and pushed their blankets away, and they began untying their knots in tandem. When they broke free, Liz ambled downstairs to make coffee. While it brewed, she went back upstairs to shower and get dressed. When she was ready, she shuffled back downstairs.

Red was sitting at the kitchen table with his elbows up and a steaming-hot mug in his hands. Liz glanced at him and nodded, briefly meeting his eyes as she passed to pour a cup for herself. With a heavy sigh, she sat down beside him and took a sip of her coffee.

"Well, now YOU look like hell," Red ribbed her, trying to make light of their situation.

Liz nodded and stared into her mug.

Red canted his head. "Were you up all night?"

"No, not really. I just, I.." She didn't want him to feel guilty for interrupting her sleep, but the right words wouldn't form. Red patiently waited for her to go on. "I did sleep.. a couple hours maybe? I slept until you woke me up."

Red chewed his cheek. "I'm sorry, Lizzie. I can't ask for your help anymore if it affects you like this. The most insidious part of my condition is waking with no memory of what happened. Of... of what I did."

"It was scary, Red. Terrifying. I knew, I mean, I did expect it to be bad, but.. not like that. I never would have imagined that." She took a large gulp of her coffee, not bothered by the fact that it was still too hot and burned her tongue.

"Oh my god. Did I hurt you? What happened?" He huffed and ran his hands over his scalp.

Liz set her mug down and clambered to her feet. She still didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to reassure him.

She also wouldn't take "no" for an answer, so Liz did the only thing she could think of doing. She rounded the table and stood behind him. After pausing briefly, she placed both hands on his shoulders and gently squeezed.

Startled by the contact, Red flinched and stiffened. After a few seconds, when she didn't move her hands, he sighed and relaxed. He closed his eyes and let his head hang forward.

She spoke softly, "No, you didn't hurt me. I'm okay. You're okay."

Red shook his head. "That's good, but it doesn't matter. We aren't doing this again."

Finally, she knew what to say. "Nope! You have me, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Pleased with herself, Liz cracked a tiny smile that he couldn't see.

It didn't escape Red that she was parroting his own words back to him, but he chose not to acknowledge it.

With another squeeze of his shoulders, she mimicked the tone he used the previous morning. "So, 9 o'clock again. Bye Red." She walked to the front door and turned back as she grabbed her coat, seeing that Red's eyes were still locked on her. She gave him a small smile.

In response, he held his tongue and nodded.