Hi, this is my first fanfic in months. I love Red and Liz together and after the brutal second half of season 3 I want to write something happy. The story will at some point change its rating and it's Lizzington even if the first chapter doesn't seem like it. You can trust me more than Jon Bokenkamp with these characters.

PS. This is a Tom Keen free story. We have had enough of him anyways.

PPS. Reviews are welcome. You don't have to leave one but I'd appreciate it. English is not my first language. Sorry for any mistakes in advance.

I do not own the show or its characters.

Reds eyes lingered on the road ahead instead of the woman sitting next to him. To painful it would be to stare at her after she'd chosen to betray him so brutally. He remembered how he clung to her, her motionless hand pressed against his cheek, caressing him in a way he had never experienced it before. His lips pressed against her soft skin, her eyebrows, her eyelids, then her cheek. He remembered Kate calling him to come out of the ambulance, and with one last brush with the tip of his nose, he was gone. Nobody could fathom what he went through. Despair, sadness, suicidal thoughts crossed his mind and invaded his soul until -

His palms embraced Kates scared face. How could she? How could they put him through this? He barely came to terms with Elizabeth being dead, so how is he supposed to deal with ... with this?

The answer is he couldn't, there wasn't time as he looked for Agnes and Lizzie. He almost died if it weren't for the woman who despised him.

As the cold metal slid past his lips and he was prepared to die. There was no meaning for him to stay on earth when nearly everybody he held dear hated him. A trigger was pulled, the sound ringing in his ears, the smell of metal so very clear in his nose but he was alive and when he opened his eyes she was hovering over him, the concern apparent in her features. She looked like an angel and if he didn't know better, he would have sworn he had died.

For the first time in weeks they were together now, with Agnes sleeping peacefully in the backseat. Dembe found her somewhere in the city. Tom must have left in a hurry, leaving his child alone in the cold night. Men like Tom never change, of that Red was sure and Tom's actions proved it.

Lizzie didn't speak to him, nor did he say much to her. She quietly followed him on his plane and in the car that was waiting for them when they arrived in Sierra Leone. He didn't know where to start and it wasn't his decision to start a conversation, and so the elephant in the room grew bigger. His intent was to keep her safe and decided to take her to a place he loved, a place he almost considered home.

His eyes were focused on the rear view mirror every now and then. He wasn't sure whether it was to keep a look on Agnes or to ignore Lizzie who was absently stroking the scar on her wrist. He gripped the wheel tighter and only relaxed when he felt a sting of pain in his fingers.

Her question, when it came, shouldn't have surprised him and yet he nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. "Where are we going?"

His jaw worked in circles as and he felt apprehensive. The place that provided her with safety was also a place that held his closest secret. Her voice was quiet, the uncertainty audible. She would find out anyway but he didn't want to talk to her now. He couldn't.

"To a small village." He gazed briefly to her. Her eyes were glassy and she turned her head, watching the landscape. "You'll be safe, Lizzie. You and Agnes."

"Thank you."

He nodded sharply and tried, really tried, to say something in return but it seemed as if his voice wouldn't want to cooperate. Instead he saw lights flicker at the end of the road. This town was his touchstone, an anchor. When on the run with Lizzie, he thought of bringing her there but it would have been to dangerous.

Not for her but for the others.

Now he had to bring her there even if he didn't really want to.

He loved her still. She was his heart and his life but the blatant rejection by faking her death hurt way more. She didn't want him in her life, she just needed him. This would have been enough for him in the past, but it wasn't enough for him now. He wanted more, wanted something in a way he knew he would never have.

Her fingertips traced the puckered flesh of her scar as Red drove the car into town. She was irritated by the recent events. So much had happened after she had been exonerated. She became a mother, left her friends, betrayed the very person who did everything in his power to protect her, she almost married too. Deep down she knew Red was right when he told her not to go through with the wedding but she wanted so desperately to have a family. She told herself it would be the best for her baby girl but she couldn't have been more wrong.

She wanted it for herself.

How selfish she had been.

It was plain obvious how deeply her betrayal affected Red. Gone was the warmth when he looked at her, replaced by a look of disdain that made her insides curl. She was hurting too but, despite of Red, she shouldn't feel that way.

Her mind ran wild with explanations about why she did it, she wanted answers from him, she wanted answers from Tom.

She shot the man who claimed to be her father, the person she thought she had murdered at such a young age.

She turned when Red parked the car in front of a house. It didn't look like his usual safe house. It was surrounded by a white picket fence and was relatively small in comparison to the mansions he used to own. He silently exited the vehicle and grabbed their luggage from the trunk when a woman opened the front door. Her eyes followed Red as he walked towards the brown haired female and greeted her with a hug and two kisses to each cheek.

Was she supposed to stay with a person she didn't know?

Liz narrowed her eyes in order to adjust to the darkness as the woman peaked over Reds shoulder to look at her. Reds hands flew through the air while he spoke. She felt as if she was an intruder so she turned away, watching her daughter sleep. Agnes seemed to peaceful and unaware of what she went through. She didn't want to take away her childhood, she wanted her to have a normal life.

"Elizabeth.", Red said gently as he opened the passenger door. "We can stay here for awhile."

"Oh, okay." Quickly stepping out and picking up Agnes, she followed him inside the house. The interior confirmed what she had already suspected when she first saw the suburban house.

It appeared so normal.

Red lead her to the living room. She noticed toys and a stuff bear lying on the floor as she rounded the coffee table. Under different circumstances she would have asked Red about this place but she felt uncertain on how to act around him. He only talked to her when he had to. There were no stories to tell anymore and she understood but the truth was, she missed it.

"Please, take a seat, Elizabeth."

She silently did what she was told and smiled when Agnes mewled a little. Grabbing her mother's finger, the infant drew the fingertip into her mouth and sucked on it.

Damn, she didn't nurse and they hadn't had the time to get formula.

She was a terrible mother.

Reds mouth turned upwards at the sight before him. He palmed off his hat and shrugged out of his jacket.

"I - I don't have any formula. God, I forgot it.", she mumbled, panic audible in her voice.

"We have everything she needs. I hope you don't mind another child around here. He's around a year older than Agnes.", Red asked as the walked around the kitchen and prepared a bottle for Agnes. Preparing formula was something he knew by heart as the last time he did this hadn't been a long time ago.

"No, no, I can't tell you how grateful I am for your help, Red.", came her assuring reply. She observed him closely while he worked in the kitchen with ease. He knew this place, that was certain, and he shared this place with a woman and a one year old boy. We're they -

"Dada!"

Her head whirled around at the sound coming from the stairs and she faced an excited toddler in the arms of his mother.

"Mommy, down! Dada!"

"I'm sorry, Ray. He's heard you and couldn't wait.", the woman said with an apologetic smile as she put the child down so he was standing on his feet while she held on his tiny hand.

"It's fine.", Red said and kneeled down, holding out his arms.

Liz didn't know where to look first. Red was a father and he was smiling warmly at the boy who padded towards him on wobbly feet. She shouldn't see this, she shouldn't even be here and witness such an intimate moment but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the boy. He had straight blonde hair, chubby cheeks and the smile from his dad. He was undoubtedly a Reddington.

"Dada, walking.", the boy said with a laugh but stumbled immediately after the words left his mouth. Red looked concerned for a second but motivated him to try again. He gathered the child in his arms and pressed him tightly to his chest, telling him how proud and happy he was to see him again.

"Hey, I want you to meet someone.", Red said eagerly and grabbed the bottle for Agnes from the counter.

He handed Liz the milk. "Benjamin, this is Elizabeth.", he told him softly. "She will stay with us for awhile. How does that sound?"

The boy clapped his hands and beamed at Liz who was feeding Agnes but her eyes were solely laid on Benjamin and Red.

"Baby! Wanna look.", Ben pushed and pointed at Agnes who squirmed in her mother's arms.

"Benjamin, try to be quieter!" His mother interfered and stroked tenderly through the hair of the protesting child before smiling down at Liz. "Hi Elizabeth, I'm Sophie."

Sophie, Benjamin and Red. She needed time to process this, because right now her head was about to explode.

"Hi. Um, thank you for letting us stay.", she said with a small smile.

"You're welcome. Ray called today. There's a guest room with a travel crib for your little one. I've got you diapers, formula and Ben's old onesies. Most of them are blue and not pink but I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Thank you." She didn't know how often she had said these words today but this was all too overwhelming and when the tears sprung in her eyes, she couldn't stop them from spilling over. He did all this for her and she felt undeserving for any of it. Maybe he was only doing it for Agnes. She wouldn't know, because he refused to talk to her.