Luke locked the door behind him, tired after a long day working with Magnus. All he wanted to do was crash and hope he didn't see the faces of the newly assassinated people in his dreams. But then he remembered that Eliza was staying with him and a small smile flit across his face. Lighting it up for just a second. Then he sighed as he realized what time it was, she was probably asleep. He wouldn't get to see her until tomorrow.


But as he walked into the living room. ready to pass out on the couch. Instead he froze as he saw Liza curled up on the rug, stroking it and grinning.


"Liza, you okay?" he asked staring at her curiously.


"This rug... is sooooo soft," she mumbled into it, silly grin still plastered on her face. She was acting... high. Suddenly Luke remembered something, and he glanced into the kitchen, his suspicions confirmed when he saw the pan of very old 'special' brownies sitting on the counter.


"Oh s***," he murmured as Liza continued muttering things into the carpet. He walked over to her and gently picked her up. "Liza, you're tripping right now. So I'm going to take you to the bedroom, can you promise me you'll stay in there?" he asked. He wanted her to sleep this off without hurting herself. Those brownies were so old, and like most 'medicinal' things they got stronger with age. He had no idea what was going on in Liza's mind at the moment, and he wasn't about to look into it.


"Of course silly," she muttered as if it was obvious. "I tripped and fell on the rug, and then you came home," she told him. "My white-knight," she said with a grin and placed her hand on his cheek, making him blush.


"No I mean those brownies were laced and you... just try to sleep it off, for me please?" he tried again as he set her down in the bed.


"Hmmkay," she agreed and lay down without a fight. "I am a little sleepy." Luke sighed in relief, good. But he stared at her worriedly as he heard her whimper.


"Liza? What's wrong?"


"I just... wh-why don't they like me?" she asked sounding pathetic. Luke flinched, she meant her parents.


"Eliza Ashdown," he said as he sat at the edge of the bed and took her hand. "No one could ever hate you."


"But they don't like me, they never did. No matter what I did, how good my grades were, I stayed out of trouble. D-daddy n-never would look me in the eyes, and when momma did she.... a-always looked so, so disappointed and..." She started bawling. Luke couldn't understand her through her tears, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. Confused, he settled down beside her and rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. He didn't know what to do. He had never been confronted with a crying girl before. After a while her sobs quieted, until she was crying silently into his chest. And after a few minutes even that ended.


"Th-thanks Lukey," she murmured affectionately and sniffled, holding him close.


"No problem Liza..." he tried to pull away but her arms were tight around him, her eyes already starting to droop. Even though he was worried about what she'd think if she woke up next to him... he didn't want to leave her. So he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and fell asleep next to her.