The end of the third season as I would love to see it (without any hope obviously). Red and Lizzie have to split temporarily. Cooper is their ally, since they provide his freedom and reinstatement in the FBI. Red is staying with Cooper, Dembe is going with Lizzie. When I thought about this scene the first time, Red was the one leaving and Lizzie the one staying. But, then, I listened for the umpteenth time to Little Wanderer by Death Cab for Cutie, and this came out... Obviously, I don't own the Blacklist nor the characters, otherwise they would have long take a completely different path... Barely edited, un-beta-ed, all mistakes are mine.
She was leaving. Again. But this time, without Red. It was a necessity and he knew it. They were at a point in their war against the Cabal, the law and the all world it seems to her sometimes, where they needed to divide forces and Lizzie was the one better suited for the task she was heading for. Not that Red was happy about it. They fought one last time over it the previous night. But it was not really important, because they fought all the time about everything. Though their fights were different now. All these months together, she learned to know him and she came to see him in a different light. Not only as her sin eater.
He left behind all that he built for twenty odd years for her. He proved Cooper's innocence, at great risk for himself. Just because she asked. They grew closer. She trusted him completely. But there was more. Subtle clues from him : a longing look when he thought she wasn't seeing him. Lingering touches. They slept a few times (just slept!) in the same bed together, sometimes by necessity, sometimes for comfort. He comforted her more than once when she had a nightmare. Never asking for anything.
Off course, they still fought about anything and everything, never in agreement. But she wasn't angry with him anymore. It was just that their disagreements were always heated and the reconciliation afterwards always easy, never awkward. They just weren't able to agree on anything without fighting about it first.
And she was leaving. Again. But this time it was with a promise to herself : she was coming back and once she did, things were going to change between them. She'll see to it.
So they arrived at this airfield, in the middle of nowhere, open to all the freezing winds of the world apparently, she thought, putting her jacket closer around her. The airfield had this immense advantage that it was unknown both to the Cabal and the FBI, or so Cooper assured them. He was there, actually, to make sure things go smoothly. Since they provided his release and reinstatement within the FBI, Cooper was their inside man, still officially on the side of the law, but helping them whenever they asked. Apparently Red told him that he owed his freedom to her because he was particularly eager to help whenever she asked, whatever her requests.
Dembe was there too. He was to accompany her, despite her protestations. He was supposed to protect Red, not her. They had a row about that too. But Red insisted that it was his only condition to let her go. He assured her that Kate and the rest of the protection team will be more than enough.
And now it was time to say goodbye. It was an awful lot more difficult than she thought. Red was giving her nothing and she tried to match his apparent detachment and coolness. She knew it was all an act, of course, she was able to read him well enough by now. And his eyes told her a very different story : he was worried, almost terrified. She wasn't sure why, though. Was he afraid she won't come back or that she won't be able to come back?
- Well... I shouldn't make them wait any longerĀ», she finally said, as the silence between them threatened to grow overwhelming.
- No you're right. The longer you delay, the more it's getting dangerousĀ» His ton was really sober. She expected more... Red-ness. A story about their contact (a woman) or a lecture about the dangers she will encounter or how to contact him through Mr Kaplan (though Dembe probably knew how to contact any one of them) or a story about the one time he went to Croatia and almost died in the hands of some exotic belly dancer or some nonsense like that. But he said nothing resembling his usual sassiness. He was very serious and didn't say more. He chewed on his inside cheek though, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.
She was so close to tears herself, she didn't say much either. She swallowed, admonished herself internally, and when she felt she was able to speak without breaking :
- Ok. Goodbye, then. I'll see you in a bit, if all goes well.
And she turned quickly, making her way to the plane, nails planted in her palms to keep the tears at bay until she was safely inside, she felt his hand on her wrist as he grabbed her and turned her back to face him :
- Lizzie...
She couldn't take more empty words : his eyes were telling her so much, that his mouth wouldn't let out. So she decided to act : she closed the distance between them, grabbed the lapels of his jacket and kissed him on the lips. She saw his eyes grew wide before she closed hers. She poured in the kiss all she was too cowardly to tell him. After a moment, Red wasn't responding and she was beginning to doubt her decision when, at last, the miracle happened. She felt his arms rounding her waist, in a crushing embrace, he held her closer, his lips moved over hers and she forgot everything else. the kiss felt like it lasted for hours, although it must have been barely a minute. Red was the one to break the it first. He didn't let go of her and held her in an embrace that will surely leave her with bruises around the rib cage. But she didn't care. She was holding on to him, not wanting to let go either. She buried her face in his jacket, filling herself of his smell.
Finally, reluctantly, Red took a step back but kept his hands on her waist. It was then that she went aware of the growing roaring of the plane engines. It was time to go. Red took her back in his arms and bending his mouth close to her ear, he whispered to her, in a fake threatening growl, supposedly to hide his own emotion :
- Don't make me come and get you.
Lizzie was now freely crying, but she pushed herself back, so she can look at him, and she smiled. He looked like he expected her to disagree and begin an other argument. Instead, her smile grew wider, and she just answered :
- I won't.
She then kissed him lightly on the lips one last time, and disengaging from their embrace, she resolutely turned to the plane. But not before seeing his matching grin.
And while she was ascending the stairs, she promised herself she would do anything and everything necessary to come back to him, her saviour, her friend, her very own Raymond Reddington. Because he was worth it.
