And behold… the first real fight. It couldn't be all rainbows and sunshine through the whole story, could it?

Yeah… It probably could have been rainbows and sunshine but I wanted a fight.

Ya'll are so awesome for sticking with me, even when I take forever to update.

I still own nothing!

As soon as the words left her mouth she couldn't believe she had said them. It was one thing to suspect a person of murder…it was a whole other thing to accuse.

Even if Red was already technically a murderer.

Semantics.

"I was there. I was at his house…" Red began, going into the spiel that sounded too close to rehearsed for Elizabeth's comfort.

It was too much.

"No! I don't want to know."

And she didn't. The less she knew, the better off she was. Years of being left in the dark had proved that. Ignorance was truly bliss. How many times must she be taught that lesson?

Red, not a big fan of ignorance in general and wary of leaving Elizabeth to her own errant thoughts, raised a brow and began again. "You deserve to know. I was at his house…"

"No!" Elizabeth fisted her hands at her sides, a show of frustration that she had somehow inherited from Sam. "Red…I don't want to know anything that won't allow me to look that girl in the eye when she comes back."

"I did not shoot Alan Fitch."

He just had to keep talking. He always had to keep talking.

"So it's just a big coincidence that on the day you decide to confront Fitch for STEALING YOUR DAUGHTER, someone else decides to shoot him in the head?" Elizabeth hissed, unable to close the can of worms that she had opened. Turning towards the man in the bed, she quickly thought better of it and turned her back to him again. It was as if he were already dead…

"I don't know about coincidence, but I do know that it would be a mistake to murder the man who has somehow convinced a multitude of ridiculously powerful people that I'm more valuable alive than dead." The monitors buzzed in Elizabeth's ear as Red stood his ground, reminding her that no matter what he said, Fitch was dying and there was no way Red's hands were totally clean. Were his hands ever totally clean? "I'm living on a very big bluff, Lizzie," Red admitted, wrapping his fingers around her crossed arms, his touch only serving to raise her defensive hackles even more. "If someone were to call my bluff it would be devastating for everyone involved."

She could only imagine what Red meant by devastating.

"Days ago that didn't matter to you."

"Days ago I wasn't considering the big picture. My picture was considerably smaller." Red's eyes cut to the door. Melanie was just outside…scared and in pain. Was protection from whatever Red had coming to him really worth putting his own daughter in this situation? What, exactly, was the big picture? And where did she and Melanie fit?

"And you all of a sudden decided that Melanie wasn't the most important thing anymore?" Elizabeth said quietly, dancing around the one accusation that would hurt Red the most.

Red's mouth set into a hard line, and Elizabeth's arms ached as he relinquished his grip on them. "I let Fitch live because Melanie was always the most important thing. You and Melanie are my family. I love you, more than anything, and I need you to believe that I'm telling you the truth."

"I know you love me."

The look on Red's face was a look she'd never seen before… at least not directed at her. Disbelief, irritation, and more than a touch of anger played across his handsome features as he registered that she didn't believe him.

"But you don't believe me that I didn't shoot that man."

It wasn't a question.

"Fine. Nevermind the fact that though it would have made my life a hell of a lot easier, I've never lied to you. Nevermind the fact that we are in a committed relationship that I hope is built on trust. And certainly nevermind that I trust you. Implicitly. Just…nevermind."

And just like that, Elizabeth was alone, confused, and suddenly very aware of the humming of the machines keeping Alan Fitch alive. Slumping down in the chair that Melanie had recently vacated, she listened intently to the sound of hushed voices in the hall, Red's deep timbre rising above the rest. The gentle, lulling tone was both a balm to her heart and a kick to her gut. The voice that was usually reserved for her was being used for someone else. It bothered Elizabeth tremendously how little she cared that it was for his daughter.

"Lizzie?"

Guilt rose harshly in Elizabeth's chest when she realized she was no longer alone. Melanie stepped hesitantly through the door, tiptoeing as if she were the guest in her own father's hospital room.

"John said he would see us later. He has some business to attend to…?"

Like she didn't believe a word of it.

Smart girl.

"He is so sweet to worry about me like this," Melanie started as she perched next to Elizabeth, her eyes falling sadly on the comatose form of her father. Elizabeth opened her mouth to agree, but stuck to nodding instead. "But I'd really be fine by myself tonight…"

"No." Looking at the girl sitting next to her, Elizabeth shook her head vehemently. "You won't go home. You'll think you can, but you can't. You'll sit here and think about it and worry about it until you find a way to blame yourself and when you do, you'll need someone to talk you down."

Melanie smiled. "You gonna hold my hand while I fall apart?"

So much like her father.

"Absolutely."

"You barely know me. Why are the two of you being so nice to me?" Melanie asked, genuine curiosity in her gaze.

Elizabeth shrugged. "I accidentally spit my gum in your hair and you forgave me. That's a friendship building exercise if there ever was one."

Giggling, the two women stood, glancing one last time at Fitch's bed.

"Goodnight, Daddy." Melanie crossed the small room to press one last lingering kiss to Fitch's cheek. "I'll be back before you know it."

Liz's heart constricted as she thought of Red, but she quickly pushed him from her mind as Melanie linked their arms.

"Let's go home."