Hoffman looked through the file in his office. He wondered what Prescott wanted with a satellite dish, but he didn't think too much on it. For the time being he'd play along. Hoffman made up a list of what Delta would need. He rose to find Marcus, but instead Bernie walked in

"Elizabeth!" Dom called as he chased after her.

Lizzy whipped around; Dom still thought she looked like Maria. She was paler though. It was painful and confusing.

Lizzy smiled at him, "Yeah, Dom?"

"Let's get a drink. I wanna talk to you."

"Right now? Sure," Lizzy smiled.

Dom led her to a nearby bar. He ordered their drinks and brought them to a table. That sat opposite each other. He wanted to study her, but he couldn't. Dom took a long drink in silence. Lizzy just sat there running her fingers up and down the glass.

"I'm sorry," Dom began.

"Why?" she asked.

"... I want to ask you about Carlos."

"Oh."
"You knew him, right? You guys were friends? That's why," Dom paused and exhaled slowly, "That's why it hurts to hear he's dead."
"It was a lot more complicated than that," Lizzy frowned, "Where should I start?"
"The day you first met Carlos."

Elizabeth Hoffman (as she was called for most of her younger life) stood awkwardly in front of her new class. They were older than she was, but she was smarter than they could ever be. Her instructor gave a very brief introduction and ushered her to a seat. At their lunch break, she ate alone. No one in her class wanted to be associated with a smartass, orphan. That didn't stop them from tormenting her. After her first day, they rounded up on her.

"You're just wasting your time here. Nobody wants you," one of the bigger kids said.

"You parents didn't even want you!"

"Piss off," she mumbled as she tried to push past them.

"What did you say?"

"I said fuck off!" Lizzy shouted.

Before they could react, two of them tumbled to the ground. Two other boys from Lizzy grade appeared. One of them jumped the remaining bully as he tried to take off. Lizzy waltzed past her would-be bullies and her saviors.

"Hey! Wait!" one chased after her.

"You can fuck off too," she said.

He grabbed and pulled her hair.

"Ow! What the hell is wrong with you!" Lizzy snapped.

Carlos just stared blankly for a second; she punched him square in the gut. He stumbled back and doubled over. Marcus kicked one of the bullies in the side before running up to his friend.

"I... I'm sorry. I'm Carlos. This is Marcus."

"I don't care," she rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Come on, Carlos. Let's go," Marcus nudged him.

"I like your hair!" Carlos shouted.

Lizzy kept walking away; Carlos silently cursed himself. The two went back to the Santiago house like always. The next day, nobody bothered Lizzy. Time went on, and it was still much of the same. She dropped her lunch in front of Carlos one day. Marcus paid no attention to her; Carlos looked up.

"What did you do?" Lizzy demanded as she joined them.

"Huh?" Carlos gave her a blank stare.

"Nobody bothers me anymore. They won't even fucking look at me."

"You better watch your language, Missy," Marcus muttered.

"Other kids treat me the very same way they treat you two."

"You're welcome," Marcus added.

"You grew your hair out," Carlos said, "Wait. No. I meant... Shit."

Lizzy started at them in disbelief. Marcus kept on eating; Carlos tried not to look at her.

"So, um," Carlos coughed, "I'm Carlos and this is Marcus."

"... Hi... I'm Lizzy," she said softly.

"Are you crying?" Marcus asked, staring right at her.

"What? No!" she snapped and swatted at him.

"Wanna come over after school?" Carlos asked.

"... Sure."

Years passed by slowly, and Lizzy tried going a separate way. It didn't work; Carlos never let her out of his sight. Lizzy became an intern under Margaret Hoffman (she was interning at a law firm) right around the time Dom's Maria got pregnant. Marcus and Carlos made their decision to enlist.

Lizzy's apartment door went flying open. The bang caused her to knock over the pile of books and papers on her lap. Lizzy flew from the couch to right in front of the door; Carlos came waltzing in. A big, stupid, grin on his face.

"Dom and Maria are getting married, Marcus and I enlisted, and I think I love you," he said happily.

"What?" she glared.

"... Um... Maria's pregnant, I enlisted, and... Nope. That's pretty much it."

"You lie. You said something else. Don't lie to me, Santiago; I know when you're lying."

"They teach you that at your lawyer school?" Carlos laughed.

"I skipped that part, sort of. Margaret's letting me study as I'm working there," Lizzy shrugged.

She started picking up the papers on the floor. Carlos knelt down to help her, but something inside him didn't want to. Instead, he tackled her. He pinned her shoulders down; Lizzy glared at him. His face was just inches away from hers. They were nose to nose.

"You'll never make it in the COG, Carlos. You're fat and your breath smells," she teased.

"You'll be the perfect lawyer, Elizabeth. You're smart and heartless," he retorted.

"Then why do you love me, Carlos Santiago?"

"Because you love me too, Elizabeth Hoffman."

More time went on. Dom and Maria were married and had their first child (Benedicto); she was pregnant with their second one. Carlos and Marcus were on leave for a short time. They had more training to do for something classified, so Carlos spent his time at Lizzy's.

"And Major Stroud! She's fucking insane. Yells all the fucking time. Even at her daughter, man. I don't think I could keep mine around me out there," Carlos rambled.

"You have a daughter?" Lizzy asked, amused.

"Shit... I mean... If I had one. I'm not saying I want one right now or anything."

"How's Anya?" Lizzy dug Carlos out of the hole he threw himself in. Not that it mattered how Anya was. She called Lizzy whenever she could.

"The Major's little girl? She's smart, pretty... Got her eyes all over Marcus. Right, man?"

"Eh?" Marcus looked over at them. A good chunk of his leave time was spent at that apartment as well. Sometimes they'd go to the Santiago's, and once Lizzy dragged him to the Fenix Estate. "Anya? She's... Something. D'you ask her yet?"

"Ask...? What?" Carlos blinked.

"Did you really forget? You set one foot in this place, she bats her eyes, and you've forgotten everything!" Marcus snapped.

"Hey man! Chill out! I didn't forget!" he turned to Lizzy, "Are you related to Colonel Hoffman?"

"Victor Hoffman?" Lizzy asked.

"Yeah. You've got the same last name and all. I just figured..."

"Oh... No. I don't think so. I used to live with them. And Major Stroud."

"And me," Marcus added.

"Wow... So... Um... Shit. It's late. I promised Dom we'd check in on Maria. I'll be back tonight, I promise," Carlos jumped to his feet.

The two of them left; Carlos came right back inside. Lizzy raised her eyebrows at him quizzically. He swore he'd forgotten something as he knelt down beside her. Carlos kissed her, catching Lizzy by surprise, and left again. She smiled as she went off to bed. Late in the night, someone came back. They awkwardly stumbled through the mess off books in the hallway. Lizzy woke up, groggy. She fumbled for the lights, but a hand enveloped hers.

"How was Dom's?" she mumbled.

"Alright. Maria just put Benny to bed way before we got there. Marcus and I – hic – went out," Carlos whispered.

"Drunk?"

"A bit. Don't have time. We've gotta go soon," he curled up in bed beside her.

"Already?" Lizzy sighed.

"Yeah... Hey, I know this is a little... Unorthodox, and my timing – hic – is awful, but... Will you marry me?" Carlos asked, sincere as he could be.

"What?"

"Marry me. I... Don't have – hic – have a ring right now, but I'll buy one when I get home. I promise."

"... Yes. Yes, Carlos. I wouldn't have it any other way," she smiled in the dark.

"Mm... That's – hic – wonderful! I love you, and I'll be right back with a ring once this is over. Are you – hic – gonna see us off?"

"I've got cases in the morning. I'm sorry..."

He kissed her again. Carlos tried to pull away, but Lizzy grabbed him. She pressed her forehead to his for a moment. Marcus pounded on the door.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

Carlos smiled as he left.

"You and Carlos... Were engaged?" Dom asked.

"Yeah... And he didn't come back," Lizzy ended softly.

"I never knew... I'm so sorry," he murmured.

Dom's hands enveloped hers. Right around that time, Baird and Cole stepped into the bar. Baird's eyes narrowed when he saw the two. For some strange reason he felt an attraction to this girl; it was driving him insane.

"Hey! There's Dom and that girl you saved!" Cole exclaimed.

"Oh great. Well I'm gonna get some drinks. I'll meet you over there," Baird shrugged.

Really his plan was to get incredibly drunk instead. Cole clapped him on the back and jogged over to Dom and Lizzy. Baird turned his back to them. Over at the table, Lizzy stood up and headed to the bar.

"Hey there pretty lady," a drunk mused.

"Leave me alone," she said dismissively.

"That's not very polite!" he slurred and stood in front of her..

Lizzy pushed past him, but the man stepped in front of her again. Lizzy glared at him; like it would make him move. It didn't. He reeked of alcohol. Nobody seemed bothered by the scene. She kept glaring at the man. He invited her to join her elsewhere; Lizzy declined. He grabbed her arm and started tugging her away.

Crunch.

The heel of her palm connected with his nose. The man staggered back cupping it. Blood seeped through his fingers.

"I told you to leave me alone," Lizzy said flatly.

She rejoined Dom and Cole. Baird let out a low whistle. That girl was certainly something.