Four years.

Four years and Elizabeth was finally reunited with her father.

They embraced, holding each other as if they had just met, as if they hadn't been to hell and back since Red had entered her life, as if Raymond hadn't done his damnedest to keep the truth from her.

The utmost truth was, Liz was internally rejoicing, thankful that she had found him, that she now knew for certain that the man she had been working with was who she'd been searching for her whole life. As long as she could remember, she had wanted a real family; she lost her mother, she'd come to accept that, but her father... Sam was all she had, but that didn't convince her, didn't relieve her, didn't make her feel whole; she craved her father. And here he was, holding her, burying his face into the crook of her neck. Tears fell down her cheeks, her arms wrapped around the man's neck, "We're a family," she spoke in a strained voice, "You, me, Agnes... We're family."

Reddington tightened his arms around her, emotions running high within his chest, his head- his heart; he didn't have to say it, didn't have to break his promise to himself that he would never tell her, the truth came out of its own accord, fate had brought them together, and he couldn't have been more grateful.

"I wanted to tell you..." he whispered, "I so desperately wanted to tell you."

He held her, savoring the moment, letting it sink in that he was able to hug his daughter without the necessity of restraint.

"Shh..." she commanded silence, right into his ear, "I forgive you..."

That comforted him, sent a rush of contentment through his overactive mind and body; he could relax now, let go of all the caution he had forced upon himself, "Oh, Liz..." He inhaled her scent, felt her warmth, rejoiced in the fact that they were always meant to have a moment like this, that it had been their destiny to be father and daughter.

This was perfection, this was what the four years had been leading up to; it should have probably even started out this way.

"I love you, Masha; moya dragotsennaya doch'," he spoke in Russian, a sub-conscious effort to show how much he cared.

Elizabeth, without any knowledge that she had, at one point, known any Russian, smiled, instantly sensing what the words meant, "I love you too, papa."

Raymond's heart fluttered, he never thought he'd hear that, that he'd experience such a sentiment, "I'm so sorry," he repeated.

Elizabeth shook her head, just slightly, "No, don't be." With a bit of reluctance, she pulled away, making absolute sure that she didn't make any eye contact as she did, "I-I'm sorry..."

Red gave a look of complete confusion, not sure why she would turn from him, why she would have a look of such- shame upon her features, "Elizabeth..?" he queried, cautiously.

Liz hid her face the best she could, glancing downward, staring at the floor as if it were a bottomless abyss, "I..." she was frightened, scared, terrified of what the older man might think of her confession; she took a deep breath, her brows furrowing in discomfort, "There was a time.. when..." her heart began to beat rapidly, she couldn't believe she was about to say something that would condemn her, something that would prove just how disgusting and perverse she actually was; her lips quivered, a tear streaming from her right eye, "I..." she took a jerky breath in, shocked by her own self-admittance, "I actually thought I was..."

She stopped, she couldn't say it, couldn't finish the thought. She broke into tears and Raymond held her once more.

"Lizzie..." He held her fast, kept her within his solace, "I'm here, you don't ever have to worry again..."

Liz shook her head, her tears falling down her cheeks, "No... no!" She buried her face within her hands, embarrassed, unable to believe she was about to confess what she had been feeling, "This.. this whole time... this whole fucking time.." she paused, shaking her head again, "I've been in love with you."

Another pause.

Another long, painful pause and she continued, "Raymond, I'm in love with you."

She didn't know how she could have done it, how she could have allowed herself to accumulate such strong feelings for someone she knew was most likely her father.

Raymond stood there in alarmed silence, he didn't dare speak, move, acknowledge anything; he stayed completely still, making it his priority to seem as though he were incapable of receiving any type of sensory stimulation. As far as anyone were concerned, he was a complete robot.

"That was never my intention," was his simple reply, a desperate attempt to avert her impulses. His chest ached, his heart clenched in pain, he never wanted this, "I should have told you sooner."

Elizabeth shut her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks; she doubled over, her arms wrapping around her stomach, "It hurts..." She fell to the floor, drawing into herself, wishing she could disappear, that she could be back home with Tom and Agnes, that she could forget her feelings for Reddington, that they could be a normal family, "I'm such an idiot..."

It was then that Red snapped himself out of his stupor, he couldn't bear to see his daughter in such turmoil, she was suffering and he couldn't allow it to continue. In a heartbeat, he was crouching beside her, his hands going to her shoulders, trying to capture her gaze within his, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Elizabeth..." he spoke softly, a subtle waver to his voice, "You are not an idiot," he shook his head, "You simply misread the situation, you made an error in deciphering how you felt, feel, about me." Moving his hands up and down her upper arms, he did his best to create a soothing rhythm, "There is no shame in loving someone, no shame at all." He pulled her closer, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, "I am flattered, believe me, and I have no doubt that you truly feel you have fallen for me, but, with this new information, I hope, and trust, that you will be able to accept me as your father, to push aside any romantic attachment and transition this into a strictly platonic relationship; because I do want to keep you in my life, Lizzie, and I don't want to fuck this up any more than I already have."

Liz's shaking ceased, her heartbeat slowing and her chest flooding with a grateful warmth, the man holding her had always made her feel so safe, so cared for and loved; with a deep breath, she let it out with a nod of acknowledgement.

"It isn't your fault," he assured her further, "It's mine, and mine alone; you can't help how you feel," an amused chuckle escaped as the thought fully sank in, "Although, I'm not quite sure I understand, I know for a fact that I've been nothing but a thorn in your side."

Elizabeth couldn't help but to laugh as well, wiping at her tear streaked face, "That's an understatement."

They locked eyes, and in that moment, they both felt a sense of ultimate bliss, happiness and joy that they had one another, and something akin to an intimacy that neither of them ever thought they'd be able to achieve.

"Thank you," Liz whispered, a soft smile gracing her features, "Thank you for being so kind, so understanding; Raymond, I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Red lifted his right hand to brush it along her cheek, her eyes fluttering shut at the touch, her chest swelling with something she couldn't quite place, something that brought the worry back despite her father's efforts to repress it; and then he spoke, and his smooth voice worsened the effect, "You mean the absolute world to me."

And that's when all rationality left and she felt her body drift forward, almost as if she were falling, slowly, until her lips met with his.

It was a subtle contact, a careful one, one mixed with fear and love, pain and elation, confusion and certainty. But she didn't dare overdo it; didn't dare to allow herself to cross that line, no matter how badly she wanted to. Instantly regretting that she hadn't been able to stop herself, she pulled back, embarrassed, "I.. I didn't mean to do that."

Stunned, Raymond had to salvage whatever composure he had left, "It's alright, Lizzie, it's alright..." He could live with the small gesture, he just prayed she could keep it at that.

They both did.