20 years old

"Lizzie! How are you, Sweetheart?" Red smiled into his scotch as he held the phone to his ear.

"Hi Dad. I'm alright. Listen, now's not a good time." Lizzie mumbled.

"But we talk at this time every day." Red's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I know, yea. It's just… something's come up."

"Lizzie? What's wrong?"

"What? Nothing. Nothing's wrong." She answered far too quickly. Red imagined he could hear the squeaking of her bed as she fidgeted uncomfortably. He began to pace in front of the mantel.

"Elizabeth, you're not the only one who finds it rather easy to catch the other out in a lie." Red replied, his voice turning stern. "Now, if you uh…if you have a boy over or something I could—"

"What? No! No Dad!" Lizzie sat up in bed, resting her forehead on the palm of her hand as her cheeks flamed. "It's just… something happened in class today and I'm trying to keep my head but I just… need a little time."

"What could possibly have upset you so much that you're unwilling to talk to me, Lizzie?"

"We had an assignment. We had to profile a criminal and present to the class." Lizzie sighed, rubbing her eyes. "One of my classmates chose you."

There was silence on the phone for awhile before Red downed the rest of his scotch and cleared his throat.

"Lizzie—"

"It's just, I've tried so hard to just ignore it. To try and separate the criminal from the father and then today, all of your crimes were on full display, right in front of me." Red clutched the phone, his knuckles going white as he heard her sniffle, trying to withhold tears.

"You're a monster." She choked on the words but felt they needed to be said. Red walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a large measure before downing the entire thing, his face impassive to hide the pain.

"But you're also my dad. And when you're with me or talking on the phone with me, you're not…that. You're amazing and you're always there when I need you. But…Jesus dad, those are just the crimes the FBI knows about isn't it? There's probably more." Lizzie laughed bitterly.

"And the entire time this kid spoke; I was editing his profile in my head because he had it so wrong. So completely wrong." Red could hear the plastic crinkle as Lizzie took a deep swallow of water. "Because I know you. The fucking 'Concierge of Crime' is my father. What the hell am I doing here?"

"You're going to be better. You are better. You're there to rise above the past."

Lizzie snorted in anguish.

"Dad, you're my past, present, and future and it's not like you've stopped, like you're ever going to fucking stop."

"That's not true, Lizzie. That's simply not true. But what I'm trying to accomplish – it's a very long game, Sweetheart."

"It's not a game!" Lizzie screeched. There was a silence on the line as she tried to control her breathing. "I just… you're my dad, and I love you. But I can't talk to you right now."

The line went dead.

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

22 years old

Lizzie was just about to put the cap on her head when she heard a knock at her dorm door. Frowning, she walked over and opened it.

"Dad! Pop! Dembe! How did you guys get in here?" She asked, standing aside to let them in. Looking to her dad for an explanation, all he did was raise his brow.

"Ah, never mind. I don't want to know. Anyway! I'm so happy you guys are here!" Lizzie squealed and began making the rounds of her favorite men, enveloping them in hugs.

Red chuckled at her enthusiasm but returned her hug back just as tightly. "Of course we came! We wouldn't miss this for the world, Lizzie. Look at you! God, just yesterday you were throwing that stuffed rabbit of yours at me because I wouldn't let you have anymore ice cream." Red trailed off wistfully and Sam smacked him on the arm.

"That wasn't you, ya idjit. That was me. You ain't denied the girl a damn thing in her life." Lizzie and Dembe just shook their heads in mutual amusement as Red scowled at Sam. "But he's right, Lizzie. We wouldn't miss this for anything." Sam stated. "And look at you! Give us a twirl, girl! Look at that fancy gown."

Lizzie rolled her eyes but did as he asked. She knew damn well that the gown was rather frumpy. Graduation gowns weren't exactly the epitome of fashion.

"Wonderful! We should take pictures! How about in front of that lovely tree in the courtyard outside? Dembe, did you bring the camera?" Red swung around to look at Dembe and the poor man had to bite his lip to keep from smiling at Red's enthusiasm.

"Of course, Raymond."

"Good! Good." Red looked around at Lizzie as if asking if it'd be alright and she simply nodded, her eyes shining with fondness. "Well let's get going then!"

Red began to lead them all out the door.

"We have to be quick though! You guys need to find seats and I have to get in my spot for the processional."

"Yes, yes Lizzie. Don't be such a worry wart. We'll make it on time."

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

"God, I can't believe my baby is graduating college… getting her own place…has a job already lined up. I am just so damn proud of you, Beautiful. I'm positively bursting with it!"

Lizzie smiled shyly, looking down at her lap to hide her blush. "Thanks Dad."

Dembe had gone off to get the car and Sam had gone in search of a restroom so Red and Lizzie sat alone on a bench in one of the large courtyards on campus. Lizzie had taken off the stupid gown as quickly as possible and simply wore her white A-line dress that had been hidden underneath. Red wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as she leant into him.

"I'm serious, Lizzie. I know I had my reservations on your career choice at the beginning but I'm so proud of you. I love that you're so stubborn and driven to do your own thing. It's one of the things that make you the best thing since sliced bread."

Lizzie snorted in a very unladylike manner and pinched his side, setting him off into his own set of chuckles.

"Now Lizzie, I need to know. You'll be working for the police in that mobile psych unit or whatever. Does that mean you get to carry a firearm? If not, I've got a friend. I'm sure I can persuade him to get you a special license or something—"

"Dad, no."

"Lizzie, you're my daughter. I need to know you'll be safe. I know you're good with a weapon. I made sure of it. It'd be a waste for you not to!"

"Dad, you can't do that. You're the one who's always spouting off about my safety. You can't start calling in favors for me now. It'd look suspicious."

Red sighed, knowing she was right but hating it nonetheless.

"Your apartment, where did you say it was again? I really wish you'd let me pay to put you in a nice neighborhood – maybe a cute little brownstone—"

"Dad, it's fine. You already paid for my schooling. I've got a great job here, I can afford a decent apartment. Besides, I won't uh..I won't be living alone." She began to mumble a bit towards the end. "So hopefully that will assuage your fears about my safety a bit."

"I'm sorry, what was that? I could have sworn that you just said you weren't living alone. That's wonderful! Is it one of your little friends? What sort of job did she get here in New York?"

"Uh… it's not a 'she.'"

"What?"

"I'm moving in with my boyfriend." Lizzie words blurred together into one long word as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I thought I just heard you say 'boyfriend' and 'moving in with' in the same sentence but I must be hearing wrong because this could not possibly be the first time I'm hearing about this." Red's voice had gone dangerously silky and low.

"Well, in my defense, I haven't told you about any of my boyfriends since you killed the one I told you about." Lizzie looked off into the distance, her lips pursed, frustrated that the mood had soured so quickly. "Not that I've had many since then, mind you."

"Lizzie, I'm sorry, Sweetheart." The guilt in her dad's voice had her immediately shaking her head in regret.

"No, no Dad. I mean, yes, what you did was really messed up. Seriously. But he pushed me down a flight of stairs, Dad. That sort of thing creates some trust issues." Lizzie sighed. "However, I would be lying if I said that I'm anything other than afraid to tell you about my boyfriend because of what happened with Damon. So I need to set down some rules. Because I really like him and I know what you're like." Lizzie looked at her dad out the corner of her eye to gauge his reaction. He had his lips pulled into a frown and sighed sadly.

"Okay, I can understand that and try to respect it."

"See, I knew you'd say something like that."

"Like what?"

"Try. Which is why I'm not telling you his name. Because I want to prevent the urge to look into him."

"But Lizzie—"

"No 'buts' Dad. I know you're just looking out for me. But most dads don't perform background checks on their daughter's friends and boyfriends."

/\/\/\/\/\

Red, Sam, and Dembe climbed into the silver Mercedes and drove off towards the airport. Red had tried for a good hour to convince Lizzie to let them stay for a few days and help her move into her new apartment in hopes of seeing this mysterious boyfriend but she wasn't falling for it. Of course the only woman who didn't fall for his wit and charm was the only one hell bent on giving him a heart attack.

Red met Dembe's eyes in the rear view mirror.

"Dembe, Lizzie apparently has a rather serious boyfriend. So serious, in fact, that she's moving in with him."

"Ah that's why you wanted to help her move so bad." Sam cut in.

Pursed lips were the only sign that Red had heard Sam as he continued speaking to Dembe.

"Our man has made no mention of this. I want to know why.

Dembe's lip quirked up in a small smile. "Raymond, we hired him to look after her safety. A new boyfriend does not pertain to this."

"The hell it doesn't!"

"Wait, ya'll have got someone watching Lizzie? Aw hell. Wait 'til she hears about this one. Our kitten's gonna hack up a fur ball bigger than the state of Iowa." Sam grouched, leaning his head against the seatback.

Red barked out a laugh. "Let me deal with her, Sam. If she ever finds out."

"I'm not just gonna 'let you!' She ever comes to me about it, I'm squealing like a pig, you ass!"

Dembe chuckled from the driver's seat, shaking his head, never taking his eyes off the road.

"What's so funny?" Red asked, perplexed.

"Lizzie always says you two are like an old married couple. I don't know why it took me so long to see it."

He received two affronted looks and a silent car ride the rest of the way to the airport, in answer. That's okay. He liked the quiet.