A/N: My apologies for the time it took me to update this one. I struggled with the direction this one should take. I didn't want it to get too angsty. So they talk a bit and then a bit more lighted conversation. I hope despite the long wait you will still hang in there with me. Thank you for the reviews. I greatly appreciate them.

Chapter twelve

It was the beginning of the evening and Liz had waited for Red to return to the cabin, but he hadn't. Starting to get hungry she'd prepared dinner which was now finished. In search of him she found him in the shed, working on the boat again.

"Dinner's ready." She said to him.

He looked up from the boat he was working on. He had to admit he was happy to see her again. When they were apart, at odds or not, he always missed her. As if part of him was missing. He wiped his hands on the towel. "You can cook?"

"I can, though I prefer others doing the cooking." She looked at the boat he was working on. "What's wrong with the boat?"

"So far not much. Just checking it over so it will be ready for summer." Putting his tools away he looked at her. Something was on her mind and he wondered when she was going to share.

"Shall we go?" She asked, nodding to the door. She'd prepared a simple steak dinner with a salad.

"I know I haven't been fair to you." Lizzie started as they sat down.

"I just don't understand your need to constantly question everything I say or do."

She looked away from him for a few seconds. "It's easier."

Red took a bite and waited patiently for her to continue.

"I'm afraid that if I acknowledge what's happening then it'll be real and I don't know if I can handle real."

"You underestimate yourself."

"No, you think too much of me. I'm not… I'm just not that strong, Red."

"What is it that you don't want to acknowledge?"

"That you are more important to me that I'm willing to admit."

He smiled. "Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because people I care about get hurt or walk out of my life." Lizzie looked at her plate and pushed her salad around with her fork. "It's safer to keep a distance."

"Does it hurt less?"

"What does?" She pushed her plate away. She didn't feel like eating anymore.

"Lizzie." Red warned her. She wasn't fooling him by answering his question with another question.

"No." She admitted. It wasn't any easier. "But maybe it won't hurt so much over time." She shrugged trying to act indifferent. "It sure as hell won't hurt as much as losing you." She whispered.

He smiled at her even though she wasn't looking at him. He slid his plate of food aside, pushed his chair back and stood up, walking towards her. He kneeled in front of her, pushed her away from the table and put her hands on her knees.

"Red? What?" She'd been so lost in thought that she hadn't seen him approach her.

"Come here." He said softly. He gently put his hands on her waist, his intention obvious. He would leave it up to her to make the next move.

She did so without hesitation. She threw herself into his arms and made him lose his balance and they fell backwards onto the floor with his Lizzie on top of him in his arms. There wrapped safely in his strong arms Lizzie finally let it all go. She let her tears fall freely.

"It's not as difficult as you make it out to be." Red whispered in her ear. He kept rubbing her back softly and waited for her to calm down. "Come on, let's continue with dinner okay?" He suggested when she'd finally calmed down. "After all, I need to enjoy those few times that you cook for me." That earned him a small smile. He held out his hands for her and helped her back up her feet. He hugged her to him for a brief moment before letting go.

Taking their seats again she looked at him from across the table with a shy smile which he answered with a soft smile before he started eating again giving Lizzie some time to regroup. The rest of their dinner was spent in silence but it was neither strained nor uncomfortable.

"How about we watch a movie?" Red asked later that evening. He'd just started the fire. He wanted to have a relaxing evening with Lizzie at his side.

"Sure." Lizzie strolled into the living room.

Turning towards her he started at Lizzie for a moment. "You changed." He noticed.

Feeling a bit insecure with the way he looked at her, she played with the edge of his hooded vest that she'd chosen to wear. "Yeah…I…" She searched for the right words. "I like the way it feels, warm, comfortable." She started to unzip it. "Do you want it back?"

"No." He stopped her from taking the vest off. "I like the way it looks on you." When she zipped the vest up again he smiled. "Keep it. It looks better on you than on me."

"Ooh I doubt that." Lizzie muttered. She really enjoyed Red's more casual look. That didn't mean she didn't like the suits. No man looked as good in a suit as Red but then again no one looked as good in casual clothes as Red did either.

"What are we going to watch? Where do you even have the movies?" Lizzie looked around the living room.

"I don't have a lot, just a few." He pointed at a drawer.

"You got The Bodyguard?" Lizzie exclaimed. She held the DVD up and grinned at him.

"It was a gift." He hoped she didn't want to know more.

"Tell me more." She immediately said.

"It's nothing." He walked towards the kitchen. "What do you want to drink?"

"No." Lizzie shook her head. "Not gonna happen. Tell me the story about the gift first." She blocked his way to the kitchen.

"Fine." Red relented reluctantly.

"Who gave it to you?" She asked when Red stayed silent.

"Dembe."

"Dembe?" Liz smiled. This was good. She could check with Dembe if Red was telling the truth. "This is great. I can ask Dembe if you're being truthful."

Red looked at her. "I've never lied to you, Elizabeth. Nor will I ever." He said serious.

She nodded at him. "I know." She said just serious. "Now, tell?" She smiled at him.

"He gave to me because it reminded him of something." Maybe if he stayed vague he could get away with not telling everything,

"That's not going to work, Red." She saw right through his weak attempt. "What did it remind him of?"

Red looked away from her and muttered something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?" She grinned at him.

"Dembe gave it to me because it reminded him of you and me." He hoped he'd said it fast enough so she hadn't fully understood it. However looking at the big smile on her face he knew she had.

"Dembe thinks we're like The Bodyguard? So you're my Frank and I'm your Rachel."

"Who?" Red asked.

"You've never watched the movie?" She saw him shake his head. "It's settled then. We're going to watch the movie and then you can tell Dembe if he was right."

"But you've already seen it."

"I like this movie. I don't mind watching it again." She sat down on the couch. "I'd like a cup of tea, please."

TBC...