"No! You can't!" Lizzie screamed, stomping her little foot for good measure.

"I'm sorry Sweetheart, I have to. I promise I'll be back." Red crouched down and reached out for her hand.

"No! You can't leave! The bad man will come and—" She choked on what she was going to say, her 4-year-old arms attempting to shove him away as she ran out of the living room. A moment later, Red heard the old screen door slam shut.

"Lizzie!" He shouted, following her outside and running after her. His heart broke as she collapsed under the giant oak tree in the front yard, her shoulders shaking with huge sobs. He quickly came to her side and picked her up, hissing at the stretch of skin on his back. "It's okay, Sweetie. It's going to be alright. I promise nothing will happen. I will protect you. I promise."

"I was so bad, Daddy. I did a bad thing!" She hiccupped.

"No Honey, no! You had to do it. I'm sure it was scary and I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you! I'm so sorry Sweetheart, but I promise, I will protect you."

"How?" She yelled as she slammed her little fist into his chest as hard as she could, her long hair flying into her face. "How you gonna protect me if you're not here?"

His eyes misted over at the agony, unable to bear the sight of her anger, though it's well deserved. She'd been through so much. How much more can he ask of his little girl?

"Sam, Sweetie. I chose Sam to protect you and he will. And Elizabeth, this isn't goodbye forever. It's just 'until next time,' okay? Remember? It's never goodbye."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Red pauses just as he is about to turn into the room. Lizzie is singing. He can faintly remember hearing her mother sing the song to her when he visited. He smiles as her high, childish voice fades with the end of the Russian lullaby.

"Hey Lizzie, before I leave, I want you to talk to this nice man, okay?" Red walks into what has now become Lizzie's room, pointing to the man behind him, standing awkwardly in the door way. He looks nice enough. He's wearing a button-down shirt and dress pants, with a worn brown leather satchel hanging from his shoulder.

"Why?" She asks as she stands up from where she'd been sitting cross-legged on her rug, clutching her bunny to her chest.

"Well, you know how you've been having a lot of nightmares about that night? He's going to help you with them. He's going to make you forget."

\/\/\/\/\/\/

The trunk slams closed as Red looks up at her bedroom window, a frown creasing his face.

"She'll come around. We've got your number. I'll let her call you as soon as she's done throwing a tantrum." Sam says, scuffing the dirt of the driveway with his shoe.

"This isn't a tantrum, Sam. It's well deserved. I wouldn't be surprised if she hates me now." Red sighed, looking away as his eyes stung. He knew what he was doing was right. He had to protect her at all cost. Even if it meant she never wanted to see him again.

"Ah hell, Red. She doesn't hate you. Just give her time."

"Yea." Red sighs as he climbs into the driver's seat of his car. Starting the car, he gives a half-hearted wave out the window as he starts down the driveway.

"WAIT!" Her little bell of a voice screams and he hits the brakes at the sound of the screen door to the house slamming shut. He looks in his rear view to see her running full pelt towards the car. Throwing the car into park, Red climbs out of the car and kneels on the ground just in time for Lizzie to slam into him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he tightens his arms around her back.

"You can't leave without saying goodbye! You have to say goodbye! I'm mad at you but you have to say goodbye!" She sobbed into his neck.

"Oh Lizzie, I'm sorry. I love you so much, so much Sweetheart. Never doubt that. I love you." He whispered fervently, running his fingers through her hair.

"I love you too, Daddy. I'm sorry I didn't come outta my room. I didn't want you to leave."

Red chuckled wetly. He guessed that made sense in a 4-year-old's logic sort of way.

"It's okay, Love. I understand." Red looks up as Sam's shadow crosses over them. He breaks their hug and rests his hand on her cheek. "Now listen Lizzie, you be good for Sam, alright? He's going to take care of you when I can't. But I promise I will visit and call whenever I can, okay?"

Lizzie nodded her head slowly, sniffling as she looked at the ground. "I'll be good, Daddy."

"I know you will, Sweetheart. Remember, this isn't goodbye."

"It's 'until next time.'" She mumbled, unable to stop the small upward quirk of her lip at their ritual. It was a sad one, but it was theirs.

"Until next time. I love you."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hey Butterball! Your dad's on the phone for you!" Sam shouted from the kitchen and chuckled as within a moment he heard her little socked feet skittering out of her room and down the stairs. He was quick to raise the phone's cord from where it ran in front of the kitchen doorway so she didn't trip over it as Lizzie came running in. She was talking to her dad before she could even get the phone to her ear.

"Hi Daddy! How are you? Where are you? When ya comin' home?" Lizzie listened for a moment, a small grumpy frown quickly transforming on her face.

"But it's been forever! You have to come visit." Another pause. Lizzie began twirling the phone's cord around her fingers, making it bounce gently against the linoleum.

"Daddy, I'm four. Three months is forever." God. When did she get so sassy?

"No, yea. I love it here. Sam is the best." Lizzie smiled up at Sam shyly as she said this, as if she were letting him in on a secret he wasn't supposed to hear. "But I miss you. You promised to visit." She sighed as she listened to Red.

"Fine. Please try to visit soon though, okay? Promise?"

"No, yea. I started school. It's fine. All the other girls want me to play with dolls though. I don't wanna play with dolls all the time." Red seemed to have pulled off a successful conversation shift.

"I like cops and robbers. Billy said I can't play cause I'm a girl. But Jake let me. Together we got Billy into jail. It was awesome!" Sam choked as he imagined Red's reaction to this bit of news.

"Okay Daddy. I love you too. 'Til next time."