Prompt: Elizabeth questions whether Henry needs her.

Elizabeth McCord sat very still.

She watched from her position at the dining room table as her family's lives turned. Alison asked Henry about a school permission slip that Elizabeth hadn't known anything about. Jason mentioned three names in the space of five minutes, none of which his mother even vaguely recognized. Stevie kissed her dad on the cheek and walked out of the room without a glance at Elizabeth.

"Have a good day at school, guys," she called to Alison and Jason as they gathered up their belongings in preparation to head out for the day.

They both turned to her and smiled, saying goodbye, unfazed by any of it.

When the room had cleared of all the McCord children, Elizabeth silently watched Henry as he moved through practiced motions that he clearly didn't need her help for. He cleaned the entire kitchen before she cleared her throat and he looked over at her.

"Hey, babe, you're awfully quiet," he said casually.

"Huh," she scoffed. Henry slowly looked over at her, his eyebrows raised.

"Okay," he said. "What's wrong, Elizabeth?"

"Nothing," she said, avoiding his gaze.

"Elizabeth," he implored, tossing a dish towel over his shoulder. "What is it?"

Elizabeth sighed in frustration.

"Look," she began, gesturing to the room at large. "I've been sitting here all morning and none of you needed a thing from me. Stevie didn't even notice me! She said goodbye to you, and she walked out. And then, Alison and Jason would have done the same thing except that I spoke up to them. And then, I sat here and watched you do all the things I had to do when the kids were babies and you were...educating yourself and working and we were exhausted all the time, remember that?"

"Vividly," Henry chuckled, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Elizabeth, honey, what's the question here?" he asked.

"I...well, it just seems like I'm unnecessary here," she said. "You run the house, the kids come to you. Even you, Henry; actually, especially you. You don't need me."

"Baby, are you serious?" Henry asked. He pushed off the counter, leaving the dish towel there. He came to stand in front of her, brushing a strand of her honey-blonde hair out of her face. She looked up at him, a hint of desperation in her gaze.

"I'm very serious," she replied. "You barely even notice I'm here anymore because it's become this well-oiled machine that doesn't need Mom Elizabeth or Wife Elizabeth anymore. All anybody needs is 'Madam Secretary' and the occasional 'Bess' and I don't want to be just that. I miss the Mom and Wife Elizabeths."

"Babe," Henry said. He sat down next to her, pulling her gently until she was sitting on his lap.

"Remember when we were engaged and you brought me breakfast after I'd been up all night long, and I looked up at you, with that beautiful smile of yours, and I said, 'I don't know what I'd ever do without you'. Remember that?" he asked her. Elizabeth nodded.

"Yeah."

"Remember every time I've said that to you since then?" he asked.

"Most of the times, I think," she said. He smiled.

"Then hear it now, Elizabeth McCord," he said, brushing a gentle hand over her cheek. "I don't know what I'd ever do without you."

"Probably live a calm life as a professor and raise polite, lovely, unrebellious children," she mumbled, but her face had softened. He laughed.

"Not likely," he said. He shook his head.

"I don't ever want you to think that any of us don't need you, babe, especially me," he told her. "Just because you've lightened up your role as Mom Elizabeth or even Wife Elizabeth, doesn't mean you're not still playing those roles."

"Stevie didn't even say goodbye to me," she mumbled, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Babe, Stevie is...well, it's a miracle she notices me. It's only because I ply her with pancakes, I swear."

"You do make really great pancakes."

"I do."

She sighed and looked up at him.

"Elizabeth, we all adore you. Even Stevie. And Mom Elizabeth will have her turn in the spotlight again someday."

"How about Wife Elizabeth?" she asked, and Henry grinned at her.

"Well," he said, pressing his lips gently against hers, biting gently at her lower lip. "I think we can take Wife Elizabeth for a spin right now if you want."

"Yes, please."