Shawn sat beside Elizabeth with an arm around her shoulders. She was no longer crying but was still visibly upset. He frowned, wondering if Jordan had actually said something to Elizabeth's friend to push Graceila so far. He sighed, not knowing what to say right now to make things better. He couldn't believe Graceila, whom Elizabeth had spoken so highly of, would ever say such cruel things to Elizabeth.

"I don't understand," Elizabeth softly said, echoing Shawn's thoughts. "She's never acted like that before. Not toward me anyway."

Shawn squeezed Elizabeth's shoulders and eased her closer to him. He enjoyed the feeling of her head on his shoulder. "What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'll stay there awhile longer, I think. Maybe once Graceila cools down, we can sit down and talk about this," Elizabeth explained. "I can't just pack up and leave without making an effort to make amends."

Shawn nodded. He understood but he hoped she'd understand that it wouldn't matter once she was a member of the Center. Her old life would become a distant memory, like his had become. "If you think that's what you need to do," he replied, "then that's what you do."

Elizabeth straightened herself up, wiping the last remnants of tears from her face. She knew she looked horrible but somehow Shawn still looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world. It sent chills down her spine and she wondered why, of all the people she could have talked to about Graceila, she had decided in a split second that only Shawn would understand.

"I should be heading home," Elizabeth told him breathlessly. She was afraid of what would happen if she stayed any longer.

Shawn nodded as he moved in closer. Before his lips touched hers, Elizabeth turned her head away. Shawn didn't press the matter. He knew it would take time for her to warm up to him and even if he thought the timing was right, he wasn't going to force Elizabeth into doing anything she wasn't ready to do.

"I'll take you home," he offered, getting up from the sofa and offering his hand to her.

Elizabeth took it and smiled a sad, small smile. She let Shawn help pull her up off of the sofa. She nodded. "Would you?"

Shawn smiled. "Of course."

Elizabeth followed Shawn out of his apartment at the 4400 Center. They were half-way down the hall when Jordan Collier stepped out of an elevator. He looked down at them and smiled.

"Shawn had told me that you needed to talk to him, but I didn't think you'd be here."

"Then why did you come up here?" Elizabeth replied. Her voice was steady and cool. Her gaze was doubly so.

Jordan handed Shawn a large manilla envelope. "I was going to slip that under your door, Shawn," he said to Shawn but not without looking at Elizabeth as well. "It's about a young man coming to see you."

Shawn nodded. He looked from Jordan to Elizabeth and back again. "I was just about to drive Elizabeth back home," he explained.

"There's always room here," Jordan began.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I'd rather sleep in my own bed tonight."

Jordan nodded, turning toward the elevator he just exited. "I'm about to head back to my office, but I think I can manage to get someone to take Elizabeth home for you, Shawn," he said. "You need your rest."

"It's not a problem," Shawn protested.

"Of course it's not," Jordan replied, sounding indignant. "That's not the point. I'll see to it that your guest gets home."

Shawn looked at Elizabeth, voicelessly pleading with her to say something. Elizabeth bit her lower lip and shrugged.

It'll be all right, Shawn, she thought, hoping it would reach his mind as she had intended. I'll see you again soon.

Shawn tried not to look dejected as he nodded his understanding. "If Elizabeth is okay with it," he finally said, "then ... whatever."

Jordan looked over his shoulder at Elizabeth. "Then it's up to you," he said to her.

Elizabeth nodded, taking a deep breath as if she needed to work up the courage to reply. "That'll be fine," she said with a small shrug. "If you think Shawn needs his rest for something, then I'm sure you're right."

Jordan nodded, pushing the button on the wall to call up the elevator. "Get a good night's sleep," he said to Shawn. "She'll be safe with me."