A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. In this chapter they are finally taking a step forward. I hope you enjoy this chapters. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Chapter six

"Did you just sent Dembe away?" He'd watched Lizzie and Dembe talking to each other from his bedroom window. He hadn't intervened though he could have. He'd seen her get frustrated but Dembe, who had a calming effect on almost everyone, had calmed her down. He wondered what Dembe had said to make her change her mind.

"I did." She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. She shivered from the cold and turned around to look at him.

"Come inside. You look cold." Red said holding the front door open for her.

She nodded at him and quickly passed him to get into the cabin. She watched Red start a fire and saw how it started to illuminate the living room. She shrugged his coat off and quietly curled up on the couch. She smiled shyly when Red put a thick blanket around her. She didn't understand this man who never seemed to stop caring for her. Why? She didn't deserve this kind of dedication. She didn't know how to deal with it. How could he still care for her after the way she'd treated him. "Why do you care?" She whispered. "How can you still care?" She swallowed thickly, trying to swallow away the emotions that were surfacing.

"Because I will always care about you Elizabeth. Always." He watched her struggle with her emotions and he wanted to go to her but he didn't. It was the first time since arriving here that she was showing her struggle. So far she'd only showed anger.

"I don't understand. I've been awful to you for weeks. Yet whenever I fall you're there to catch me, time and time again. How can you keep doing that? I don't deserve that. I don't deserve your care." She ran her hand through her hair.

Red moved to the edge of his seat, but still didn't touch her. She would have to come to him. "You deserve everything you wish for."

"I'm not sure that's true." She admitted.

"Why not?"

She stayed silent. She was unsure how to answer that question or maybe she didn't want to "I'm sorry, Red. I… really am."

"For what?"

"For the way I've been treating you. For blaming you for everything. You were never at fault."

"I'm not sure that's entirely true." He said to her. "I'm far from innocent."

Lizzie nodded her consent. She was silent again and looked at him. "You called Cooper and ended the taskforce."

Red nodded and waited for her to continue. He watched her mull over her thoughts. He sat back and crossed one leg over another, waiting patiently for Lizzie to start.

"Is that what you want? To end the taskforce? Not work with me anymore?" Her voice turned soft and small.

"It's not about what I want. I've said this to you before. There's no fun in it for me when you're not there. But there's also no fun if we're enemies."

"Is that what you feel? That we're enemies?" She swallowed thickly. Once again she was trying to keep control of her emotions.

Red contemplated his next words. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. He had promised himself and her that he would never lie to her. "Sometimes it does." He admitted. He rubbed his jaw. "We're struggling and I sometimes doubt if we can find our way back."

"You do?" How were they going to get through this if he doubted that they could. She needed him to be her anchor, to guide her back to him, to herself even.

"I do because no matter what I do it never seems to be enough for you. There is nothing I wouldn't do for you yet you doubt if I care. I don't understand that." The nervous tick under his eye was there because he didn't know how she would react to his next words. "You are the first person I think of when I wake up and the last when I go to sleep. You are with me always. When I look at you I see the good and the bad and that thrills me because that makes you who you are. And who you are is the woman who captured my heart." He watched her wipe away the tears. "But why is it, that when you look at me, you only see my flaws?"

The tears were running down her face now. He'd just poured his heart out, showing her how deeply he felt for her and all she'd done was accuse him of everything and anything. She felt horrible about herself and the way she'd treated him. Standing up she tried to calm down a bit. She needed to leave this room. She didn't want him to see her sob uncontrollably. Red noticed her need to flee immediately. It seemed to become one of her trademarks but this time he wouldn't let her. He immediately wrapped her in his arms.

But she struggled, wanting to get away from him. "No." She said weakly. She didn't want him to see her like this. "No." She pushed and fought him to get him to let her go but his arms around her just tightened. She realised she couldn't fight him anymore. She simply wasn't strong enough. She felt her knees give way but his strong arms prevented her from falling. Gently he lifted her up and sat down with her on his lap. Her body shook against his and he felt her tears against his neck. He ran his hands gently up and down her spine and peppered her face with small kisses. Her pain was like a knife to his chest. Yet he hoped that this would be a breakthrough and that letting her pain out would lead to the both of them healing. After a while Lizzie's sobs quietened down and her breathing evened out. Feeling her soft breaths on his neck he leaned back a bit and saw she'd fallen asleep in his arms. Despite the struggles they were dealing with, he cherished this moment that she felt safe enough with him to fall asleep in his arms. "Sleep, sweetheart, I'm here." At his words she seemed to snuggle even closer.

TBC...