AN: Hola all, I am in the process of writing the next chapter to be beta by my awesome beta reader Spitfire47

Chapter six
Round Two
Digging in deep

Elizabeth walked from the break room with Ray; he headed over to the grief councilor. The elevator doors opened as Lloyd, Erica and Shea stepped out looking around the office for the first time since Charlie died.

The three cons kept looking around feeling lost, the office where Charlie used to be was empty, and everything felt strange without the man who used to be their boss telling them what to do.

Glancing over to Lloyd, Elizabeth tried to give him a comforting look, but it didn't turn out well as her hand slipped onto the desk trying to avoid looking at Charlie's office.

Julianne holding the files for the case walked towards the group, her eyes going from Lloyd to Shea, finally watching Erica.

Ray standing up from the Doctor he was talking to looking over the group settling down. "Alright we're back to work. Obviously not how we wanted it, but we're back."

Shea sitting down, he looked over to the man Ray was speaking to, he didn't feel right with him watching all of them. "Who's he?" He asked quickly trying to avoid looking for too long.

"It's policy that when a deputy is killed that everyone in the unit should take one session of grief counseling, which you all refused in Maybelle." Ray kept looking around the team. "And you too Liz." He pointed out as she Elizabeth rolled her eyes seeing Lloyd staring at her.

"We're not telling some prison councilor about the cops we work with." Shea pointed out feeling he didn't need to have to explain himself. "I don't care how confidential they say; once it goes on file anyone can get their hands on it." He added watching everyone else in the group.

"Well I gotta sign that paper that said you all got counseled." Ray pointed to a desk; he didn't really know why he had to make himself any clearer. "Liz, also I need you to do this also, I have to report this on your record." He now looked at the whole team. "It's a liability thing."

"Then sign it!" Erica snapped.

Ray felt like he was being slapped in the face. "I just got my badge back," He kept his game face; "I'm not lying on a federal document."

"It wasn't on my deal when I signed up to make myself available for therapy…" Shea really didn't want to do this; his eyes kept looking around the other cons, even falling onto Elizabeth who kept quiet now. "I don't need it, I don't want it, and I'm not about to tell rent a paco over there."

"Alright you do it Lloyd," Ray said making Elizabeth's eyes snap from Ray to Lloyd's face.

Lloyd for a few seconds felt on the spot, this was something that couldn't possibly be happening in real life. "Oh no, no, no. Counseling co-workers could be a conflict of interest." Lloyd tried to avoid looking direct at anyone now.

Ray watched Lloyd; he raised his eyebrow studying over the other man. "By who?"

"By me." Lloyd said feeling nervous. He hated this feeling starting to spread through his chest, his eyes slowly going to Elizabeth watching him closely.

Ray exhaled. "You're doing it! Okay." He kept his tone business, but he knew that it was going have to be done. He walked over to the councilor looking serious. "Doc we're going to keep this in house."

"It's under my understanding that Doctor Lowery is no longer a doctor." He pointed out, his voice unsure of what he was saying.

Elizabeth could see the look on Lloyd's face as he pointed back, it was hard enough knowing he didn't have his license, but worst hearing someone else say it. Elizabeth's hand reached over the desk taking his giving it a light squeeze. "You alright?" Elizabeth asked with a soft tone to her voice.

Lloyd kept his eyes on Ray talking to the man, but shifted back to Elizabeth. "Yeah, sure." He stammered while watching her face. "You?"

"Fine, just having some family drama, some people in my group at the academy are slightly intimidated by me," Elizabeth let out a small laugh. "I guess it's just a lot."

"I know this is hard for all of us, but Charlie would of wanted us to take care of business, and that is what we're gonna do." Ray spoke as the councilor started to leave, "so unless anyone has anything else to say, I want everybody's A game." Ray walked over to the board, he pointed out the mug shots that Julianne had put up on the glass. "Two convicts tunneled out of Suregon maximum security prison upstate New York…" Ray's eyes drifting to Erica staring off into Space, "Erica!" He snapped getting her attention.

Erica stood up, her eyes still focused on Charlie's office before turning to Ray. "I just think its bullshit that we don't get to go after the guy that killed Charlie." Her voice was rough as she kept thinking back to that day.

"Well I don't like it any more than you do, but there is nothing we can do about it." Ray pointed out looking to the office also, he knew this was going to happen, but it wasn't easy to play his part. "The Marshals already have another team on it."

"If it wasn't for him…" Erica felt lost for words; her eyes kept trying to focus on something, anything to make the feeling in her chest subside.

Ray exhaled, "Why don't you take a minute, go get changed." He felt bad for her; he knew this was the hardest thing to do. Go back to work after losing someone close.

Elizabeth quickly got to her feet following Erica as she walked out; she hadn't gotten a chance to talk to her since Charlie died. "Erica, wait!" Elizabeth called after the other woman watching her stop.

"What Liz?" Erica turned to face the younger woman, she didn't really have much to time to get to know her, but she knew she wasn't a bad person.

Elizabeth lifted a bag up, "I got you something nice to wear." She stepped awkwardly from one foot to another. "I'm not much for saying the right things, or comforting people." Her hands going to her pockets after Erica took the clothes from her. "But I miss him too, even if he thought I was a pain in the ass, he made being on this team feel like something."

"Yeah, he brought me on the team, had faith in me when everyone else thought I was just some angry bitch." Erica bit her lip feeling sick.

Elizabeth nodded, "Yeah, but you're a total bad ass, and I also need to give you this…" She reached into her pocket handing her a cell phone, "I guess there is a little girl out there who'd love to hear her mommy's voice."

"Liz," Erica smiled a little, "Thank you…" She whispered before taking the phone heading into a changing room.

Julianne sat at a table with Lloyd, she glanced the other desk to see Elizabeth writing something down on an iPad while looking through her text book. Part of Julianne was still upset about all of this. For a few seconds Elizabeth was biting the end of her pen getting to her feet walking into the kitchen.

Elizabeth kept glancing around the many things she could drink, her hands playing on the fridge seeing Erica and Ray, feeling like she was interrupting something she turned to walk out.

It wasn't long before Elizabeth was sitting at the fire exit, the door open sitting on the fire escape with a smoke in her hand looking to the non-existent view.

"You know those things really will kill you," Lloyd stated sitting beside Elizabeth watching what she was staring at.

Elizabeth let out a chuckle, but carried on smoking. "I know that fact, but with everything shitty in this world, a few smokes now and then take the edge off everything." Her eyes shifting to look at his, "You're trying to do that Doctor thing."

"I kinda have to, under the fear that Ray might kill me…" He pointed out looking back into the hallway. "But you've not talked about how Charlie's death has affected you."

"Lloyd," Elizabeth started, but paused looking back to a bunch of pigeons sitting on a wall. "When he died, and I watched him dying. All I thought about was how he looked when he found me, in that abandoned building." Elizabeth took more of the smoke; she held it deep before exhaling. "He was so worried for my safety, his job was everything. But in them last moments, the last breathes he took…" Elizabeth closed her eyes feeling her stomach drop. "It was the worst feeling I can imagine, and I keep waiting for it all to be some fucked up dream."

Lloyd hesitated for a few seconds, but he placed an arm around Elizabeth's shoulder, "I think we're all waiting for that same moment Lizzie." He whispered softly feeling her head resting against his shoulder.

Elizabeth flicked the smoke away, her eyes closed feeling Lloyd holding her still. "I'm scared Lloyd."

"You've got nothing to be scared of," Lloyd brushed a hand into her hair pushing it back, he felt her free hand moving around his arm, her eyes looking up to his.

Elizabeth inhaled slowly, but her eyes opened to watch Lloyd, "I'm scared for you, he's still out there and he is only going to do things to hurt you."

"Hey," Ray's voice snapped Lloyd and Elizabeth apart, "We've gotta move, they took out a civilian, so we're heading to location." Ray paused seeing the look on Elizabeth's face. "You want to sit this one out Liz?"

"No…" Elizabeth got to her feet; she gave Ray a serious face. "Lloyd was just doing the counseling thing…"

Lloyd nodded, "Yeah, that." He now studied over Elizabeth for a second, "But are you sure you don't want to stay here with Julianne?"

Elizabeth shook her head lightly, "No, I need to get out, I think it's best to not get blindsided by my emotions."

"Okay, well get your things cos we're going now." Ray pointed out, he watched Elizabeth walking away before stopping Lloyd from following. "I want to say this once," He kept his voice low, but his eyes dead focused on Lloyd's. "No funny business with Liz, you hear me."

"Loud and clear…" Lloyd felt Ray's arm drop as he quickly moved away from Ray, if Ray only knew what had already happened between him and Elizabeth. He headed straight for the elevator feeling good to stretch his legs.

Elizabeth got out of the car after Lloyd, her attention going to Ray who kept in front of everyone walking towards the crime scene. The whole feeling was surreal, like Elizabeth was there, but not really part of the group.

"Elizabeth," Ray's voice snapped Elizabeth out of her daydreaming. "Go with Erica and Lloyd to check the back." His voice serious, but his hand lightly rested on her shoulder.

Elizabeth quickly nodded her head, "Yeah sure." Her eyes were going over Lloyd following Erica's lead. It was a lot easier to follow, even if they were the cons, she was the trainee agent.

Lloyd kept close to Elizabeth, he didn't notice how she'd changed over the few months, but maybe he was just being his weird self. Watching her hands going into her pocket pulling her jacket to one side he noticed the gun in the holster. "You have…" He pointed nervously.

"Yeah, I passed my training; it's registered to me and everything…" Elizabeth glanced to the body. "Messy."

"Yeah," He looked over the back of Erica's head before looking around the place. For a moment he saw the phone quickly picking it up, he turned to face Elizabeth. "Could be something?"

Erica walked over, for a moment her attention on Elizabeth taking the phone from Lloyd. Elizabeth gave her a small smile. "Screens cracked."

"Disposable phone still got some juice left in it." Erica took the phone from Elizabeth looking to Lloyd.

Elizabeth nodded, "I'm just going to try and see if," Her eyes focused on Lloyd for a second, they both seems out of their comfort zone. "See if I can find anything…"

"Okay…" Erica replied watching Elizabeth rushing off, it was then Erica turned to face Lloyd. "Did you say something to her today?"

"No," Lloyd jumped, for the most part; Lloyd always had this fear that Erica would hit him again. "I talked to her about Charlie today, she's scared."

Elizabeth walked over to Ray; she glanced to the other agents that had turned up on the scene. The man holding a Taser as Elizabeth backed off carefully.

Walking towards the chaos with Erica, Lloyd felt his hand reaching for a man's shoulder. He only wanted to ask what was going on when he felt a sharp pain hitting him on the shoulder. His scream of pain escaped him falling to the ground.

"Lloyd!" Elizabeth felt his name escape her lips before she could control it, it only took her a second to be on the ground beside him, her eyes scanning over his feeling slightly worried.

Erica on the other side of Lloyd, her attention going to Elizabeth's hands touching his arm, "You okay?" Erica's question was open, but more aimed at Lloyd.

"I need a medic ambulance or anything…" Lloyd squealed out, his eyes shifting from one woman to the other, but felt Elizabeth's hand gripping his arm. "Liz," He spoke softly, "I might need CPR."

"He's going to be fine." Erica said getting to her feet, but couldn't stop looking at the horror on Elizabeth's face.

Elizabeth laughed; she could hear Ray having a go at the woman agent, but her attention on him. "CPR, you're not asking for much Lowery."

"You know Liz," Lloyd knew he stepped over the line, his hand touching Elizabeth's as she jumped back from him, "Liz…"

Elizabeth bit her lip looking over to the expression on Erica's face. "I'm going to check the security taps." She now rushed away from the group, she wasn't really going to check the tapes, but she couldn't be doing this to herself.

Getting to the security office Elizabeth inhaled, "With US marshals," Her voice rough as she glanced behind the security guard, her throat felt dry as she held a hand against the door frame.

"You alright?" The man asked helping her sit on a chair, he glanced over her face, and then outside to the others in the group she was in.

Erica poked her head in, her eyes going to Elizabeth, "We're heading back…" She then walked into the office touching Elizabeth's shoulder. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"No," Elizabeth shook it off, her attention to the guard. "I'm fine." Now standing to her full high Elizabeth walked out of the office, she headed to the car sitting in the front passenger seat. The whole ride back she couldn't look at Lloyd.