Like when she'd spent the night in the ER on her own behalf, Ruthie came home as the light was breaking, went to bed, and slept until past noon.

"Wake up, pretty girl," she heard, and she rolled over to find Elliott sitting on the side of her bed, a hand on either side of her.

She lunged up and threw her arms around his neck, so happy to see him she couldn't even talk for a few beats of her heart.

She turned away, however, when Elliott pulled her head back so he could kiss her.

"No," she protested. "I have morning breath, virulent halitosis that in the words of the immortal George Carlin, could knock a buzzard off a shit wagon."

Elliott began to laugh, but he let her go so she could go brush her teeth.

"One, who's George Carlin, and two, if I don't care, why should you?" he asked from the doorway of the bathroom.

Ruthie bent to spit her toothpaste out before replying, "He's one of the most talented comedians to ever walk the earth, and just because you don't have standards is no reason why I shouldn't."

She put her toothbrush away and turned to Elliot. "Okay, you may kiss me now," she declared, stepping into his arms and kissing him thoroughly.

"Mm, mm, best kisser ever," Elliott murmured as he let his hands settle on her pajama-clad hips. "Why are you so chipper and happy this morning? Oh, and before I forget, lunch is ready."

"I'm not," Ruthie said, breaking the kiss and stepping back. "I'm trying not to think about what happened yesterday, that's all." She gave a little shiver as she walked to her dresser and grabbed some undies and a bra. She then went to her closet and pulled the door nearly shut for privacy as she got dressed.

"Do you think we should go visit her in the hospital?" she called. "Elliott? What do you think?"

"I'm thinking about how you look in the knickers and bra you were holding," Elliott answered honestly. "Imagining you in your scanties is endlessly entertaining."

"My what?" she responded from the closet, her beautiful laugh following.

"Scanties is a good old-fashioned English word, I'll have you know," he informed her. "Though not often heard these days, I'll grant you. I see no reason for you to impugn my--"

"Besides, you don't have to imagine," Ruthie interrupted. "If you want to know what I look like, just say so, and I'll show you. Ask, and ye shall receive."

She pushed the door open and came out, smiling, in just her yellow underwear and lace bra.

"Whoa, shit, Ruthie, what the fuck are you doing?" Elliott gasped, spinning around so he wasn't looking right at her. But his traitorous mind took a mental photograph of her immediately, and the image was burned on his retinas, possibly forever.

He knew that if he touched her he was done for, so he did the only thing he could decently do.

He fled.

He opened her bedroom door and stepped out in the hallway before he felt the stiffening in his pants, before he felt the blood pounding in his head, and other places. He nearly fell flat on his face when he stumbled as he nearly sprinted to the stairs.

"Chicken!" he heard Ruthie call as he ran down the stairs, off balance and leaning dangerously far forward.

"Whoa, dude, everything okay? Did you wake her up?" Todd asked, seeing Elliott gasping at the foot of the stairs. "Did you tell her lunch is ready?"

Elliott nodded, chest still heaving, hoping the tent he'd pitched in his pants wasn't noticeable to his girlfriend's father. "Yes sir," he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "She'll be down in a few minutes."

"Great," Todd said, pouring glasses of water. "And you know that you don't have to call me sir, right? I mean, maybe Phil likes it, I don't know, but I feel kind of like a mean drill sergeant when you call me that, you know?" He smiled at Elliott.

"Yes, sir," he responded without thinking. "I mean, no, sir--oh, fuck it all--"

Todd was still laughing about Elliott when Ruthie made her appearance.

She looked almost edibly adorable to Elliott in her leggings, which were white with pink hearts all over, and her oversized pink cardigan, which was the same shade as the hearts. It didn't hurt that he could picture her in her darling knickers and bra, either.

He wrenched his thoughts away from his beautiful girlfriend, and tried instead to focus on the delicious lunch of lobster macaroni and cheese and fresh steamed vegetables Ruthie's father had prepared.

"Wow, Dad, you didn't have to go to all this fuss," Ruthie said as she loaded up her plate. "Lobster Mac? Did you go out this morning to buy the lobster?"

Her dad smiled at her, then turned a little to include Elliott in the smile.

"You guys went through a lot last night, I wanted to make something hearty and comforting, that's all," he explained.

Elliott nearly choked on his food when, in the middle of the meal, he felt Ruthie's foot in his lap. He squirmed a little, and felt her foot on his crotch.

He looked over at her and saw her devilish grin, even as she raised her glass to take a drink. He gave her a look, eyebrows raised.

She raised one eyebrow back at him. "Chicken," she mouthed when her father wasn't looking.

Elliott narrowed his eyes at her and tried to move her foot. Little Elliott was enjoying the attention, it seemed, and had come out to play again.

"You know, sir, I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but you're extremely handsome," Elliott said, turning to Todd.

"Excuse me?" Todd asked, choking a little himself.

Ruthie's agile foot stopped moving in Elliott's lap as his words sank in.

"I mean, I'm not gay, and of course we're both involved with other people and all, but yeah, you're a very good-looking fellow," Elliott went on, taking a forkful of lobster mac and nodding as he ate. "Your husband, that is to say, Ruthie's Pop, is a very lucky man."

"Elliott, ew, do you mind?" Ruthie said. "I'm trying to eat."

Elliott looked over at her. "I'm not saying anything 'ew'-worthy, I don't think," he responded with a devilish grin of his own. "I'm just saying that, with his dark hair and eyes, and his very nice cheekbones, your Dad is, erm, easy on the eyes? Yeah, that's all," he finished.

"Well, um, thank you, Elliott," Todd said, smiling. "A little weird to hear from my child's significant other, especially during lunch, but I'll take it, so yeah, thanks." He hoisted his forkful of food in Elliott's direction and nodded before putting it in his mouth.

Ruthie, still wearing a look of dismay, had withdrawn her treacherous foot from Elliott's lap.

Elliott smiled benignly at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him.

After lunch, they stopped for flowers, and went back to the hospital.

Amelia had been moved to a room on the twelfth floor. It had a view of the river and the almond orchards, which were still a week or so away from being in bloom. She was looking out the window, her whole attitude conveying fatigue and listlessness. She turned her head when she heard the door, and gave Elliott and Ruthie a tired smile.

"Hi, you guys."

Ruthie leaned in to hug her old friend, and let out a gasping sob as she did so. She hadn't intended to get emotional, but seeing Amelia with her wrists bandaged, lying in a hospital bed, had really affected her.

She sat back next to Elliott, and was grateful when he reached for her hand.

"How are you?" Elliott asked, to fill the silence.

"Well, I've been better," Amelia admitted. "I need to thank you both for everything you did last night, so thank you. For everything you did last night."

Ruthie smiled at her through her tears. "I'm not going to say it was my pleasure, because I'd just as soon never do it again, but I'm glad we were able to help."

Elliott nodded his agreement. "I only wish I hadn't left you alone," he told her sincerely. "I shouldn't have. I'm sorry I did."

Amelia shook her head. "Please don't apologize to me, because it just reminds me that I should apologize to you." She turned to Elliott. "Especially to you. I've been coming on to you, trying to start something, even though I knew you were with Ruthie." She shook her head again, this time as if to clear it. "It's like I've been walking around in a dream for the last few months, a kind of waking nightmare.

"After what happened to me, what I did--" she began.

She saw Ruthie shake her head slightly.

"You didn't tell him?"

Ruthie shook her head again, the motion a bit bigger this time.

Amelia's eyes filled with tears. "Oh wow, thank you, Ruthie, for not breaking my trust." She turned back toward Elliott, who sat looking a little confused.

"I had an abortion a few months ago," she told him. "I'm not proud of it, and I don't know if I'd do it again, but that's what I did."

Elliott's expression changed to one of sympathy. "I'm so sorry," he said, nodding a little. "It must've been an absolutely awful experience."

"Ruthie and Gordon took me, and took care of me," Amelia explained. "It was just the awful cherry on top of the mess my life's been becoming."

"What's going to happen now?" Ruthie asked after the silence again got a little uncomfortable.

"Well, I'm being released this afternoon, with referrals to all kinds of mental health professionals," Amelia said with a wry smile. "My mom wants me to go to one of those beach retreat places, but I know we can't afford it, so I said no."

"But if you need it--" Ruthie began as Amelia again shook her head.

"Plus, I don't want to fuck up the play," she added.

"Oh, Amelia, no. The play will be fine, you need to think of yourself," Ruthie interrupted.

"No, I mean, I don't want to fuck up the play, plus I really, really want to do it," Amelia explained. "It's been the one thing I enjoyed, the one time of day I can sort of leave myself behind and get wrapped up in something else.

"At first I was really bummed I didn't get Eponine, but I think I was just pitting myself against you again, for no good reason." Amelia gestured toward her water, and Elliott jumped up to hand it to her. She took a drink and continued. "I like playing Fantine. She's melodramatic and angsty, like me."

All three of them smiled at her words, and Ruthie was heartened. If Amelia could joke like this, so soon, maybe she'd be okay.

"So I'm going to see a therapist, and do the thing where you sit around in a circle and talk with other kids, and I'm also going to go back to school and keep doing the play."

The door opened again and her mother walked in carrying a sandwich and an apple.

"Hello," she said, leaning to hug both Elliott and Ruthie, really hard. "Thank you, both of you, thank you so much," she said, beginning to cry.

Ruthie and Elliott left soon after. When they were in the parking lot, Elliott said, "You know, if she can make jokes about it, maybe she's already on her way to getting past it."

Ruthie nodded, hoping fervently that he was right.