Prompt- Elizabeth and Henry argued like every other couple, but it was never anything huge, and they never allowed it to happen in front of the children. The first time they have a major fight, resulting in one of them walking out, ends up being the only one the children ever hear.
I hope you enjoy, XvinX:)
This is set during the whole Dimitri topic, as I think (I could be wrong) is the only time we've seen their marriage challenged and on rocks.
Also, thank you for the lovely reviews on the last chapter, they make my heart smile:) I am working on turning chapter 8 into a multi fic, as I have ideas as to where I can take it, and I'm working on ideas for turning chapter 7 multi as well, I am also working on a two part fic with someone;) but, please be patient as I am currently on my third and last term in uni, so.. , no promises! (And those who have sent me prompts, I'm still working on those to, but if you don't see yours being published, message me, I'm sure I'm working on it somewhere haha.) Happy reading! Review?
Elizabeth and Henry argued from the moment they woke up, to the moment they got home later that day, which is how they ended up here, in the bedroom, in something which could only be described as a screaming match.
"This is ridiculous!" Elizabeth said, and Henry looked up to face her.
"No, Elizabeth. What's ridiculous is that you cant seem to understand what position you've put me in, and why I need time." Henry told her.
"I do understand that, Henry! But I need you to talk to me!" Elizabeth said.
"I cant talk to you!" He shouted. He'd never shouted at her before, and she took a step back. "You remind me, of it. Of how I failed. Of how I promised a young man that his life would be safe with the team he was working with and he wasn't, and for some reason, every time I think about it, I blame you." Henry said to her in more of a calmed voice, and she took a breath.
"You blame me?" She asked.
"I hate that I blame you, and I hate that I cant look at you without thinking that you ended that poor mans life, but I do. And I need time to sort that out." Henry explained.
"Time? Like what?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't know, Elizabeth." He said to her, his tone dry and tired.
"You cant just spit all that out on me and then say you don't know!" She shouted to him.
"I'm not doing this again." Henry told her, and walked off.
"You don't get to walk away from his, Henry!" She shouted as she followed him down the stairs, and as they both reached the kitchen, they remained unaware that their three children were sat in the living room, their heads turned towards their parents raised voices. "You cant continue to blame me for something I had no control over." Elizabeth said to him.
"You had control over this, Elizabeth. You could have disagreed, you could have fought harder, but you didn't." Henry said to her, and the kids looked at each other with confused expressions.
"For the sake of not causing world war three!" Elizabeth shouted.
"I know that!" Henry shouted back, "But it doesn't-" Henry ended this sentence, shaking his head.
"Doesn't what? Change anything?" Elizabeth finished for him, "Don't you think I know that? I feel just as much guilt over this as you do." Elizabeth said to him.
"Do you? Did you promise him to his face that he could trust you, and that you would protect him from his government? Did you make a promise that young man that put his life on the line for a country that's not even his?" Henry questioned, and Elizabeth didn't speak.
"He was the same age as Stevie, did you know that? He has a sister that relies on him, what do I tell her? When you made this decision you didn't think about him, or how badly the Russian government were going to touture him, all you thought about was what was best to make your work life easier." Henry started, spitting words out that he knew he didn't believe. That he didn't mean.
"If that's how you really feel then, why are we still arguing? What's the point?" Elizabeth asked, and he shook his head.
"The point? The point is that I wish I didn't blame you for this, and I wish that I could look at you and not be reminded of what happened, but I cant. You're a reminder, Elizabeth. And I don't know how to change that." Henry told her.
"I don't either." She said, and looked down. The McCord children still sat, watching, and the couple still unaware of their presence.
"It was the right call, Henry." Elizabeth said, and he nodded, because he knew it was, he knew that she'd stopped Russia attacking Ukriane, but that didn't help.
"Maybe it was. But I don't think that its the only call you could have made." Henry said to her.
"Are you really staring this again?" Elizabeth asked. "I did what was best for.. well, everyone! And I'm sorry someone you were close to got caught in the crossfire but there's nothing I can do about that!" Elizabeth raised her voice.
"He didn't get caught in the crossfire, you put him in it!" Henry said back in the same loud volume.
"That's not fair." She told him, and he shook his head, releasing a breath.
"I cant do this again, I-" Henry said, and stood straight, "I have to go." Henry told her, and she laughed bitterly.
"Of course you do." She said, and he stared at her, before grabbing his coat and heading out the door, the slam of the shut making the rest of the McCords jump. And the kids looked at each other.
"What the hell?" Ali said.
"Did Dad just... leave?" Jason asked.
"I'm going to go and talk to mom, wait here." Stevie said, and the two younger siblings nodded.
"Mom?" Stevie said walking into the kitchen, and Elizabeth turned to face her, and Stevie saw the exhaustion on her face.
"Hey baby, everything okay?" Elizabeth asked her, and Stevie looked back at Jace and Ali, who kept looking at the front door.
"Mom.. we're in the livingroom.." Stevie said, and Elizabeth's heart dropped.
"Stevie, honey. Its fine, everythings fine." Elizabeth said, walking into the living room, and being met with the eyes of her children, and sat next to them on the couch.
"Where did Dad go?" Ali asked her mother.
"He just went out for some air, everything is fine, Noodle." Elizabeth smiled, hoping her worry wasn't clear in her voice.
"Didn't sound fine." Jason commented.
"Jace, I promise. There's nothing to worry about." Elizabeth reassured, and Jace nodded, disappearing upstairs, and then Ali did the same, her footsteps small, and she eyed the door as she carried on up the steps.
"Everything is not fine, Mom." Her eldest told her, and followed her siblings, and Elizabeth sighed, throwing her head back on the couch. Where was Henry?
Henry walked in not half an hour later after he walked around the block to calm down, and as he shut the door and walked further into the house he was met with Elizabeth who was in the office on the phone with Russell, talking about yet another crisis. He stood and waited for her to finish on the phone, and as she placed it down and looked at him, and cursed himself for ever thinking it was okay to walk out.
"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have walked out, but I had to go before I said somethings I'd regret. I'm sorry, babe." He said, and she nodded, standing up.
"The kids saw you walk out." She told him.
"Are they okay?" He asked with worry, following her into the kitchen.
"They're fine." She told him, still being dry and dismissive towards him.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, and she turned to face him, her eyes sad and tired, missing the light shade of colour they normally had.
"Are we? She asked with a quiet voice, and it broke him to see how unsure she was of them, and walked towards her, and wrapping her in a hug.
"We're fine. We are always fine." He told her, and he felt her relax in his hold, and he kissed the side of her head.
"Then I'm okay." She told him, and it broke his heart that he made her feel that she had to question their marriage.
At the top of the stairs, all three children relaxed.
"They're okay, right?" Jason asked his sisters.
"It looks like it." Ali smiled, and Jason looked at Stevie, who looked just as unsure as he did.
"Every couple has its ups and downs, I'm sure they'll get to being okay." Stevie nodded, and the three children looked at their parents as they laughed together, and they knew then that no matter what, the five of hem would always be together.
