AN: This is basically the conclusion of My Blind Spot. Let me know what you think! A big thank you goes out to jackandsamforever, for being the most wonderful beta ever.
Disclaimer: Somehow The Blacklist is still not mine...
ONLY YOU
As it had turned out, Red didn't have to leave again, at least not in the near future. At the moment there were no blacklisters they had to catch, probably because Red wanted her to have some time off to rest. Since there was no case, Cooper didn't have a problem granting her request. Liz and Red had spent almost no time apart in the last couple of days. He had kept his promise to cook for her, and she hadn't been surprised that he had mastered the three course meal easily.
Liz had finally convinced Dembe to stay in her guest bedroom since Raymond didn't want to leave. It was not for his lack of trying to get them to leave, but since Liz didn't want to stay at the some 'borrowed' house, and the FBI's number four most wanted didn't want to leave her, they had stayed at her house.
Dembe was discreet, always giving them their space and actually taking care of Hudson. Lizzie couldn't seem to stop touching Red now that she had him and he loved it. Some evenings they would just cuddle up on the couch, her body almost covering his, with her head on his broad chest, and her hands clutching at his upper body. He didn't even care about the wrinkles in whatever shirt he was wearing. Red always had one arm wound around her waist, holding her tightly against him, while his free hand was tangled in her hair, gently massaging her scalp. She enjoyed having all his attention. It made her feel special.
THE BLACKLIST
One evening they were getting ready for a gala dinner Red had wanted to attend. He had bought Liz the most wonderful red dress, with a teasing slit on the right side that showed off her beautiful, silky leg. They had just made their way to the bedroom to change, and the FBI agent was taking in the dress on the bed. Red's arms circled her waist and he dropped a kiss on her neck. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," she said and turned her head to look at him. "Thank you." Liz pressed her lips to his and he hummed.
"Red suits you," he said, his eyes sparkling.
She bit her lip to stop the grin she knew was coming. "It really does, doesn't it?"
With another kiss, he untangled himself from her to get dressed. The black tux and red tie, that was just the same shade as her dress, were already laid out as well. "So what about Tom?" He suddenly asked.
"What about him?" She replied, her voice losing its warmth.
Reddington shrugged his shirt off and started pulling his crisp white shirt on, looking at her. "When will he be back? What are you going to do?"
She frowned. "He'll be back by the end of next week. And I don't know, haven't thought about it."
He was buttoning his dress shirt now. "I hope you don't expect us three to share this bed. I would rather not have him cuddle up to me in the middle of the night."
She gave him a pointed look, clearly not appreciating his humor. "Like I said, I haven't thought about it."
Red had pulled up his black trousers and began tucking his shirt into the waistband. "So how's it going to be, sweetheart? Are you going to keep sleeping with your husband and then come to me so I can show you how it's done?" He asked, raising his brows at her. She was standing there, still clad in her jeans and t-shirt, her jaw now slack at his words. "You should start getting dressed. We're due to leave in about an hour."
Liz stared at him, unable to comprehend how he could say something like that to her. Tears were already pricking at her eyes. "You're an asshole," she said, her voice breaking at the end, which made him raise his head again to look at her.
Liz dropped the dress and turned to leave. "Lizzie. Lizzie." He stood at the top of the stairs, only in time to see her rip open the door. "Elizabeth!" He yelled, trying to get her to stop from leaving, but the door slamming closed was evidence enough that he had failed.
Hudson stood at the closed door and whined before looking up at Red, whining again. "I know, buddy... I know." He sighed and walked back into the bedroom to finish dressing. Lizzie would surely be calm by the time he had finished.
THE BLACKLIST
Of course things didn't go as planned and his favorite FBI agent hadn't returned, so Red and Dembe left to go to the gala dinner without her. When Liz returned a while later she had found her house empty, of course. She had been thinking all that time, walking around the park, kicking at gravel. Yes, he had crossed a line, but somehow he had been right. Not doing anything about Tom and still pretending that they were in a relationship, sharing a bad while seeing Red wasn't fair; to either of them.
She had to talk to her husband as soon as he got back, but first she had a dinner to attend. Red wanted her there, and she really didn't want to fight anymore.
THE BLACKLIST
Liz had broken a personal record getting dressed and ready to leave. She actually considered herself beautiful that moment and thought that Red would appreciate it. Entering the crowded room, the first thing she noticed was Dembe leaning against the bar, looking casual while being on alert, as always. When he noticed her, he came right over to greet her. "You look beautiful, Liz," Dembe said.
She gave him a smile. "Where is he?" She asked, letting her eyes scan the room. She had no problem spotting him. There he was, sitting at a table, laughing alongside the others sitting with him.
"Would you like me to get him for you?" Dembe asked sympathetically, when he saw where she was looking.
Liz was actually too stunned to speak. She had come all the way by cab, dressed up like she hadn't done for her own husband in years, if not ever, after Red had been an incredible asshole towards her, only to now see him sitting in his chair with some blonde bimbo on his lap, who whispered into his ear. She couldn't tear her eyes away. What was she really to him, if he could substitute her so quickly? As is seemed, Dembe hadn't waited for her reply. He was touching Red by the shoulder and leaned in. "Raymond, come with me please."
"Dembe, my friend. Can't it wait? Mary here was just telling me some enlightening stories," the concierge of crime answered.
"Ms. Keen is here," Dembe said, and Red's head shot around.
There she was, his beautiful Lizzie, looking absolutely stunning in her red dress. His eyes traveled up her body to her face. She looked sad and broken; and in that moment Ray realized how things must look to her. He watched her blink once before she turned and headed towards the exit.
Reddington jumped into action. He pushed the blonde from his lap, muttering an apology, before hastily making his way through the crowd, Dembe hot on his heels. He pushed open the revolving doors and stepped onto the concrete, his head turning from left to right in search for her. He saw her stepping into a cab on his far right. "Lizzie!" He shouted after her, but the door had closed and the cab was pulling away already.
"Dembe, get the car." He told his friend, his eyes not leaving the retreating vehicle.
THE BLACKLIST
When Lizzie got home, she went straight to her bedroom. She just wanted to get into comfortable clothes and to be left in peace.
'No such luck,' she thought when she heard the front door open and shut, then Hudson's bark of excitement. 'That traitorous dog.' It could only be him, so she focused all her anger on the man. How could he just walk into her home now?! Liz was furiously going through her drawers, trying to find something she could slip into.
"Lizzie." She heard him say, and resisted the urge to turn around and pummel him to the floor. She heard him clear his throat, clearly getting ready to say something.
"I want you to leave," she said, her tone cold. She turned to look at him then, enjoying the flicker of pain she saw there. "I want you to leave me alone. To not contact me at all. I don't want to see you again."
He stepped forward. "Lizzie, let's just talk about this."
She shook her head. "I don't understand you. You tell me you will do everything for me, that you would leave if I just said the words. Right now, I need you to leave, I'm telling you to leave and you can't even do that?"
Red nodded but closed the distance between them. He took her face in his hands, but she turned it sideways. Sighing, he pressed a kiss into her hair. "I will respect your wish. You looked extra beautiful tonight," he whispered against her hair before turning to leave, not looking back once.
After making sure that Red had left, Liz had changed and made her way to the kitchen. She took an open bottle of wine from the fridge and a glass from the cupboard, then walked over to the couch and poured herself some of the scarlet colored liquid. After drinking the first glass, Liz poured another one, instantly taking a big gulp. She could already feel tears pricking at her eyes again and wanted nothing more than to forget that night's events. She emptied her second glass, then poured the rest of the wine into her glass. She had to admit that this one was really tasty. Turning the bottle around to check the label so she could buy some more, she almost dropped the bottle right then.
The bold black letters seemed to be almost mocking her. Tearing at the wound in her heart. Of course the wine had to be named 'Summer Red'.
Liz felt her throat closing up. With a scream she threw the bottle with everything she had. It hit the kitchen aisle and burst into thousand little pieces, leaving the kitchen covered in glass. That was when she felt the hot tears sliding over her cheeks. She buried her head into the sofa cushion and sobbed.
THE BLACKLIST
Liz didn't leave the house for the rest of the week, she didn't even turn on the light to let Hudson into the backyard to take care of his business. She felt drained, emotionally as well as physically and so very depressed. She was sitting on the sofa, cuddling Hudson, when her front door opened and she straightened, hoping it was Red after all.
The man walked into the living room. "Hey, babe."
"Tom." She replied, quickly schooling her features from any disappointment. "You're back."
Her husband put down his suitcase and settled next to her on the sofa. He leaned in to kiss her, but Liz put her hands up and against his chest, preventing the move.
"Tom, we need to talk," she said.
He wore a puzzled expression now. "Is everything alright? You don't look so good."
"Tom... I don't know how to say this..." She decided to just cut to the chase. "I want a divorce."
"What?" He looked seriously confused.
Liz sighed and turned on the couch to face him. "Things between us aren't what they used to be and honestly, I don't think that will change."
"And now you want a divorce," he recited.
Liz nodded. "I think that'd be the best for us. I'm sorry." Tom rose from the couch, pacing the small space in front of it. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Her soon to be ex-husband stood with his back to her. She watched as he took off his glasses and put them on the coffee table. He turned and looked at her, his eyes held a dangerous glint, something she couldn't remember ever seeing in them. Suddenly she felt his fist connecting with her face. White, hot pain shot through her left temple and she could already feel the blood pouring from a cut on her eyebrow. She heard Hudson barking before she heard a crashing sound, then a loud yelp which turned into a scared whine.
Liz was pulled up by her hair. "What do you know?" Tom spat, shaking her and she closed her eyes, willing the dizziness to go away."What do you know?!"
"Tom, please stop!" She begged, but he didn't listen.
He pushed her roughly and Liz fell over the coffee table, taking several glasses and bottles with her. Shards of those broken glasses left cuts all over her upper body and face. "Tom... please... I don't know what you mean..."
"You know damn well what I mean, bitch!" He came at her as she tried to crawl away. "Oh no, you don't." He kicked her in the ribs and Liz grunted in pain. Hudson growled from where he was lying at the far wall, his paw at an odd angle. "What do you want now, huh?" Tom started making his way to the dog.
Liz used the distraction to pull her service gun from her bag under the couch table.
"No, no, no, no!" Tom lunged at her, his weight hurting against her probably broken ribs, as they fought for the weapon. He hit her in the face again as he tried to pry her hands from the gun. Suddenly a shot rang through the house and both went slack.
THE BLACKLIST
There was blood everywhere... everything hurt. Hudson was whining. Liz opened her eyes. Tom's dead body was covering hers, his warm blood soaking through her shirt. Her husband had tried to kill her and Liz had shot him. She had some trouble pushing his weight from her. They were both lying on the shards and it hurt to move at all. With nimble fingers, the FBI agent searched for her cell and almost sobbed in relief, when she palmed the device. There was only one person she wanted to call now.
It rang three times before it was picked up. "Hello?"
"Dembe..." She said softly. "Can I talk to him?"
"He is quite busy at the moment. He will call you back." The man responded.
"No!" She sounded more than desperate. "Please... I need to talk to him."
Liz could hear several voices coming over the line, and after some rustling she heard him speak. "Agent Keen, something I can do for you?" He asked coolly.
"Red..." She breathed. The pain was numbing.
"Did you need something?" He asked again and she knew that he didn't really care at that moment.
"I..." She tried to get her leg from under Tom and a sharp pain shot through her entire body, making her gasp.
"Lizzie?" There was so much worry in that one word.
"You were... right...," she whispered.
She heard him move. "Lizzie... sweetheart are you okay?"
"Tom..."
"Where are you?" Red was already walking to his car. There was a long pause. "Lizzie!"
"The house..." She finally answered. "Red?"
There were car doors slamming, before an engine roared to life. "Yes, Lizzie?"
She had missed that nickname so much, had missed him so much. She had to let him know, just in case. "I love you."
She heard him exhale loudly. "Dembe, to Lizzie's house. Fast. Sweetheart, where are you hurt?"
"I don't know... hurts everywhere...," she sighed. "He hurt Hudson. He hurt him. I can't see him. He tried to kill my dog..." Her breaths sounded like they hurt, and Red could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest. "I shot him."
He was relieved to hear that his Lizzie could take care of herself. He didn't know what he would do without her. Part of him wished that that bastard was still alive though, so he could make him suffer. "I'm coming for you, Lizzie. I want you to keep pressure on any wounds."
"Red... I'm sorry..." He bit the inside of his cheek and swallowed hard as she continued, "I love you."
"Lizzie, sweetheart, I want you to listen to me. Are you listening?" He waited until he had heard a noise of agreement. "I will answer to that, but I will say it while looking into your beautiful eyes. I want you to stay awake for me. Can you do that?"
"Y-yes."
"I want you to promise me, Lizzie. Promise me that you'll stay awake for me."
"I promise," she breathed.
Red closed his eyes. "I'm coming for you, sweetheart."
"Two minutes, Raymond, " Dembe said.
"Just two more minutes, Lizzie. Sweetheart?"
"I'm tired, Ray..."
"I know. You can use me as a pillow," he said, referring to the 'incident' they had had so many months ago. Red smiled when he heard her content sigh.
It had taken them exactly two more minutes to get to her house and Reddington jumped out of the car and ran to the front door, throwing it open. "Lizzie!" He yelled and heard her answer coming from the living room. He fell to his knees at her head, avoiding the broken glass. "Sweetheart... open your eyes."
Liz blinked and couldn't hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. "Red..." She reached up and he instantly intertwined their fingers.
"The FBI and an ambulance are four minutes out," Dembe said as he walked into the room.
"Help me get her out of those shards."
Together both men carefully lifted her from the broken glass and sat her in an upright position, leaning against Red's chest, who was propped up against the couch to help her breathing. Red pressed a handkerchief to the wound at her temple.
"Hudson...," Liz whispered, her breath ghosting over his jaw.
"Dembe." The silent order got the younger man moving. He carefully picked up the scared, whining dog and put him on the floor next to the couple. The pet immediately snuggled up to his owner, whining some more.
Liz stroked over his soft fur, trying to calm him. "My poor baby..." She turned her head so her nose was touching Red's throat and took a breath, deeply inhaling his scent. He was so warm. All she wanted to do was stay right there and go to sleep.
"Sweetheart, just a few more minutes. We let the paramedics take a look and then you can sleep." He pressed a feather light kiss into her hair and scratched the dog behind his ear. "Dembe will tend to Hudson to make sure of his well-being."
"Thank you."
"Of course, Lizzie."
She grabbed onto the hand that lay at her hip, squeezing gently. "Thank you for being here."
He squeezed back. "Always. Sweetheart look at me." She slowly raised her head and their eyes met. "I love you, Lizzie." He leaned down and softly kissed her lips. "I love you and I will never leave again," he told her. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me." He pressed another kiss to her forehead and held her close.
"Raymond, they're here," Dembe announced.
Red nodded. "About time. You're going to be just fine, Lizzie."
He felt his hand being squeezed and looked down at her. "Ray... don't leave."
His heart clenched at her words. There was no way he would ever leave her again." I'm right here and I will not leave your side, sweetheart."
That moment the FBI burst into the house, guns drawn, with Ressler leading the way. "Reddington! What the hell?!" The man exclaimed before holstering his gun.
"I would love to chat with you, Donald, but get those EMTs in here first, will you?"
Ressler finally seemed to notice that his partner was hurt and he went to her, kneeling down, careful to not disturb the dog. "Liz, you okay?" It was a stupid question really, but he was being sincere with his worry. "Tell those damn paramedics to hurry, damn it!" He shouted at another agent, before turning back to his friend, putting a hand to her cheek. "Hang in there."
The paramedics came into the house carrying a stretcher. Dembe carefully took Hudson and carried him away so the paramedics could do their job. "We need to get her to the hospital to check her out. She might have internal bleeding. Let's put her on the stretcher," one of them said. They moved to grab her, but she flinched away.
"No..." Liz buried her face in Red's neck, not caring that she was hurting herself.
"Lizzie, you need to let them take care of you," Red tried to reason, but she only gripped his hand tighter.
Ressler stepped back between the paramedics and Liz, crouching down next to her. "I'll make sure he is allowed to stay with you at all times, but you have to let them help you first, Liz."
Red was amazed how close those two seemed to be. It seemed like his Lizzie had wormed her way into yet another heart. He shared a quick look with the younger man and saw that he wanted to talk.
The paramedics carefully lifted Liz off Red and onto the stretcher, but no matter how careful they were, Liz let out a whimper that hit Red deeply. The paramedics continued their work, asking her several questions to determine if she had a concussion.
"Okay, Reddington, I have no idea what's going on with you two, and right now I don't give a damn. What the hell happened here?!" Ressler asked.
Red tilted his head. "Donald, I think you can see what happened."
"Don't fuck with me, Reddington," he warned.
Red raised a brow. "I think I'll pass, Donald. Now, Agent Keen called, clearly in pain. She told me that her husband had attacked her and that she was hurt. Dembe and I came here to his." He motioned at Tom's dead body.
Ressler nodded. "Did she shoot him?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Then go stay with her, but Reddington.." He grabbed the older man by the arm. "Whatever your intentions are, you hurt her and I'll hunt you down like a dog."
Red gave him a smile. "Not that this is any of your business Donald, but I have no intention to hurt her." He tipped his head at the other man. "If you'll excuse me, I'm sure I'll see you at the hospital later." He turned and followed his Lizzie out of the house.
The ride to the hospital was short. Red had taken a seat close to the back door so he wouldn't interfere with the medics. That didn't keep him from touching her though. he had his right hand on her knee, drawing soothing circles, maintaining eye contact throughout the ride. Liz was taken to a room where they proceeded with several tests. Poking and prodding at her until she growled at them. Luckily there was no internal bleeding and the glass had only cut the skin, but wasn't embedded. She only had a minor concussion, but her ribs were badly bruised. She would be okay to leave the hospital that night though.
Red watched the nurse clean the wound at Liz's eyebrow, before she left her to get situated. He could tell how cranky Lizzie already was; she didn't want to be there, didn't want to be treated like a victim. But he also knew that she wouldn't want to go back to her house.
He sat on the side of her mattress next to her hip and took her hand in his. "Why don't you try to get some sleep. You must be tired." The silence that greeted him was even worse than her normal arguing. "Sweetheart -"
"Hudson?"
He gave her a soft smile. "Will be fine. Dembe has taken him to a friend who happens to be a vet. You don't need to worry."
She nodded. "Is he dead?" She asked after a while.
"Yes."
She nodded again. "Good. He tried to kill my dog."
"He tried to kill you," Red answered, secretly hoping that Tom was still alive, so he could kill him with his own hands. "What happened, Lizzie?"
He watched as she swallowed thickly, moisture pooling in her beautiful eyes. She closed her eyes and tears made their way down her cheeks, making him flinch. When she re-opened her eyes and looked at him, he could see so much pain in those blue orbs. It cut him deeply to see her like that. "I told him I wanted a divorce," she said, and Red failed to come up with an answer. Actually too stunned by her words. "Even though you don't want me, I didn't want to continue living a lie."
He sat up straight, gripping her hand tightly. "Now you stop right there. You were the one telling me to leave. You don't get to put this all on me."
"Well, you were quick enough to substitute me for that blonde bimbo in your lap!"
Red took a deep breath. "I told you I am monogamous when I'm in a relationship! You don't trust me, but expect me to trust you when you were still screwing your husband?!" He was standing now, unable to stay put. No one could get his blood boiling like Elizabeth Keen. It was frustrating and beautiful at the same time. He watched as the wind ruffled through the trees outside. Soon it would be summer. Summer meant warmth. Warmth meant less clothes... Less clothes on his Lizzie...
"I would've never touched him since Italy," Liz said softly.
He sighed and turned back to the hospital bed. She looked pale, and the bruise on her face must hurt, but what hurt him the most were the tears that wouldn't stop streaming down her cheeks. Red walked up to her and sat down again, putting his hands on either side of her head. "Italy?"
"Why would I want to go back to something meaningless when I might have you?"
He put his right hand to her face, letting his thumb graze over the wetness there. "You have me, Lizzie," he told her, his voice slightly above a whisper. "You have to know how much I want you, sweetheart. I apologize for how I acted back then. What I said, about you and... Tom." He hated that man so much. "I shouldn't have said that. Shouldn't have pressured you the way I did. Maybe this wouldn't have happened."
"Ray, this isn't your fault. This would have probably happened anyway."
He only growled at that, biting the inside of his cheek, calming himself before their eyes locked again. He would do anything to keep her from getting hurt again; even if he died trying.
"I love you, Lizzie. Never doubt that. It's been you for a long time now. Only you."
