A/N: Okay, I just noticed that I named Gordo's daughter Rose and then started calling her Grace in the last chapter. :/ That was because I had just watched "We Bought a Zoo," so that name was stuck in my head. Sorry. I might take it down and fix that if I remember…

"Put another pillow there," Scott instructed, handing Rose a couch cushion. Lizzie was busy draping blankets in random places, adding to the décor of their fort. She was hesitant about turning her living room into one giant pillow and blanket fort, but she had remembered doing that as a kid herself, and she figured that it would take some of the stress off the kids. Suddenly, the phone rang, and Lizzie tiptoed her way out of the fort and into the kitchen to answer it. "Hello?" She listened to the response carefully and then added, "We'll be right there." She hung up and turned back to Scott and Rose. "Kids? He's here." No other words were needed. They all hurried to get in the car.

Lizzie's mind was jumbled with different emotions. She tried to focus on one fact as she drove toward town. He's at the St. Luke's hospital, she silently repeated to herself over and over again. He's at St. Luke's.

Getting the kids into the elevator was a nightmare in itself; she discovered that Rose was terribly afraid of them. Scott finally coaxed her into the elevator by telling her to close her eyes and count to 30 so she wouldn't notice that they were going up. Lizzie finally managed to yank a still shaken Rose from the elevator and down the hall, only to notice that they had lost Scott somewhere along the way. They retraced their footsteps and found him waiting at a nurse's station, where Lizzie's irresponsibility earned her many glares from different medical officials. Now with both children, they wandered back down the hallway to room 334. There lay a very disheveled looking Gordo in a hospital gown. A nurse was drawing his blood, but that didn't stop Rose from running over and pouncing on her father. "Daddy!" she shrieked. Gordo winced in pain as the bed bounced slightly, but laughed at his little girl all the same.

"Hey, baby," he said, stroking her dark hair. He then noticed Scott and Lizzie who were both lingering by the door. "Hi, guys." Lizzie shoved Scott a little, and he hesitantly bent down to hug his dad. The nurse pushed past Lizzie and left to run blood tests. Lizzie leaned herself against the door frame, watching the reunion of the happy family. Finally, Gordo said, "Why don't you guys go look at the fish tank while I talk to Lizzie?" The kids complied, and Gordo raised a hand to beckon Lizzie closer. She sheepishly sat in one of the hard plastic chairs at his bedside. She tried to appear calm, but it didn't work. She finally pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hoping the shaking of her hands wouldn't be so visible that way.

"Hi," Lizzie whispered, smiling slightly.

"Hey," he said back. They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Then Gordo said, "Listen, Liz. I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I'm sorry about how our relationship ended. I never should have done those things to you." Lizzie shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.

"You were in love. What were you supposed to do?" Gordo sighed and shook his head.

"I loved you, too, though."

"No you didn't."

"I did, Lizzie. I swear to God I did."

"I thought you did, too. I was quite obviously proved wrong."

"Lizzie…"

"Forget it. It's done. It's the past." Gordo nodded.

"How were the kids for you?"

"Fine." Lizzie decided not to mention Scott's meltdowns.

"Good. And how are you?"

"Fine," Lizzie said again. Then added, "We all missed you."

"I missed you guys, too." He held out his hand. Lizzie just stared at it, and he eventually put it back at his side.

"How are you feeling?"

"Eh. A little sore." Finally Lizzie broke down.

"I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"Scott…said that he hates you because you've killed people."

"He did?" Gordo's expression hardened as he took this in.

"Yes. He thinks that the people over there were just trying to protect their country and that they didn't deserve to die."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that war's inevitable and that there can't be war without a little bloodshed. And I told him that you're still a good person and that you love your kids very much."

"And you?"

"What?"

"And how do you think of me? The same way?"

"No!" Lizzie exclaimed, blushing. Gordo turned his head to face her. He studied her face for a moment. Lizzie leaned forward, putting her forearms on her thighs, letting her hair provide a curtain between them. Gordo reached out and brushed her blonde locks behind her ears, then letting his hand rest on her cheek.

"You were always a terrible liar," he whispered. Lizzie flinched at his touch, but didn't back away.

"How many people have you killed?" She asked, scared to hear the answer. He rubbed his thumb in circles over her cheek.

"Only one."

"That's all?" she was somewhat relieved.

"That's all. But I've never exactly felt the same as I did before."

"What did they do? Were they trying to kill you?"

"Yes." He winced at the memory and a tear rolled down his cheek. "He was trying to kill me, but I had better aim. I like my job, protecting my country and all, but it just seems wrong. Wrong that I'm alive and he's not." More cheeks poured out over his eyelashes. Lizzie stared at him for a moment. She had never seen Gordo cry. Not even at his wife's funeral a few months ago. Then, hesitantly, she reached out and wiped his tears away with her thumb.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Everything happens for a reason."

"Then why am I here still? I could have been killed fifty times over by now."

"Because your kids need you. I need you. We may not have much of a relationship anymore, but I've known you forever, and I can't bear the idea of living without you."

"You would have to take care of them, you know. You're their legal guardian." Lizzie hadn't known that, but she acted like she did.

"I know." She heard a high pitched scream emit from Rose and said, "I should go. We'll come back and visit you tomorrow. She tried to pull her hand from his cheek, but he caught it with his own.

"Thank you for coming," he whispered. Lizzie wiped the last of his tears away and impulsively bent down to kiss the tip of his nose.

"You're welcome. Bye."

"Bye, Lizzie."

A/N: Short, I know. Sorry. I'm trying to convince my parents to let me go to an OAR concert, so I need to hurry up and go talk to them before they're sold out. Wasn't that chapter kinda sweet, though? Oh, and thanks for all the reviews! Keep them coming! :) Byee!