AN: This is a zombie apocalypse AU set a year or two in the future. It's not really a crossover with the Walking Dead, at least not yet, but even if you haven't seen that show, you should still be able to read this with no problem. Give it a chance..haha.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Blacklist or The Walking Dead.
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The first sign that something was wrong was her cell phone signal cutting out. If she had been paying closer attention, she might have seen the warning signs around her, but Liz didn't think anything of it because Sprint was her carrier, and they were always having problems with their service. She didn't know that there were gruesome deaths being reported on the news, or that people were going missing in droves, because she was too busy wrapped up in her own little Blacklist world. She was the last person in the Post Office, so she didn't notice that the world around her was going to hell.
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Liz stretched her arms over her head and leaned back in her chair with a quiet groan. She was finally finished with the mindless paperwork that went along with an arrest, and was looking forward to going home and taking a long and relaxing bath . They had been chasing The Joker for weeks, and she was so glad that he was finally behind bars. Red had been instrumental in his capture, but he'd left before she could thank him, citing some "crisis" that needed his immediate attention; so she'd returned to the Post Office and hadn't heard from him since.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander as she let her head fall against the head rest. Her thoughts, like they had been for weeks now, turned to Red and her complicated relationship with him. Tom was out of the picture, having been arrested for crimes against his country months ago, and was currently on trial for execution. She had been heartbroken when she had first learned of Tom's crimes, but Red had been there for her from day one to support her. He had talked her down from an emotional breaking point, and had let her yell and scream at him when she couldn't hold it in anymore; then held her against him as she sobbed into his chest. He had been her rock, her foundation, her anchor in those dark days after learning of Tom's betrayal.
She knew she had feelings for him, but she wasn't ready to act on them. Not counting the fact that she didn't know how Red felt about her. Sometimes when he looked at her, there was little doubt in her mind about his feelings, but other times he was a closed book and didn't give any indication either way. He confused the hell out of her most of the time, and she was tired of his emotional manipulation, so she had recently begun to push him away. Not spending her free time with him, turning down invitations for dinner, and turning him away from her doorstep when he showed up unannounced. He had noticed what she was attempting do, and surprisingly hadn't offered any resistance; so that had pretty much confirmed her theory that he didn't have those kinds of feelings for her. She tried to push that last thought away though, it hurt too much to think about. She couldn't even fathom losing another man in her life, and would settle for just being friends with Red if it meant him staying around.
Liz leaned forward and opened her eyes then glanced at her watch. It was after 11:00 PM and her eyes were starting to feel heavy; she'd been here for hours, and she wondered why no one had come into her office to bother her the entire time she'd been sitting there. It was definitely odd, but she didn't think much of it because it was the start of the weekend and everyone was eager for a reprieve from the constant danger that their jobs entailed.
She glanced out her office window and saw that it was completely dark in the main room, and that there weren't any emergency lights on; it made the hairs on her arms stand up. Something was off, but she couldn't figure out what it was that was bothering her. Deciding she was finished for the night, she stood up and slipped her red coat on, then switched off her computer and desk lamp. She was bathed in complete darkness, so she pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned on the flashlight app. She heard the sound of the elevator moving up as she walked out of her office, and was surprised at how loud it was; of course she'd never been alone in the dark by herself at the PO. It was really creepy.
She walked quickly to the side of the elevator and pulled her gun out of her holster. She needed to be ready for anything or anyone that walked out of those doors. The elevator reached her floor, and she pushed herself farther against the wall, trying to blend in with the darkness. The doors slid open slowly, and she heard footsteps make their way out. As the person passed her, she shined her light at them, held her gun up and said in a low, deadly voice, "FBI, stop right there." The person's back was to her, and as she shined her light up to the back of their head, she recognized who it was instantly. It was Red. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Red put his hands up and turned around slowly. He was dressed in his usual attire, white shirt, gray vest and pants, but it looked messy and wrinkled, and his tie was crooked; which was something he never allowed. His features weren't the normal calm mask, but had a look of panic that she'd never seen on him before, "I've searched all over for you, Lizzy." He took a deep breath, then walked over and pulled her into a tight embrace and buried his face in her neck, and said in a voice that lacked his usual eloquence, "I'm grateful that nothing has happened to you."
She was more than confused, and pushed his shoulders back so she could look him in the eye, "What are you talking about? What's going on?"
He furrowed his eyebrows in genuine confusion, "You mean you haven't heard?"
She sighed in exasperation, "I don't know what you're referring to, but I'm tired of going in-"
He cut her off, "Lizzy, the world has gone to hell in a handbasket."
She punched his shoulder lightly and forced a laugh, "You're playing a joke on me aren't you? Ha, ha, joke's on me. You can stop now."
He shook his head, "I've never been more serious in my life. Let me show you what I'm talking about." He grabbed her hand and led her back to the elevator, then pushed the button for the parking garage, but kept a hold of her fingers. "Is your gun fully loaded?"
What an odd question to ask, she thought, but nodded and said shortly, "Yes."
"Good, because you're going to need it."
She chose not to comment, since it seemed like he didn't feel the need to explain to her what the hell was going on.
The elevator slowed, and Red pushed her against the wall with his body, then turned and whispered in her ear, his breath hot, "You need to be as quiet as possible."
The doors opened, and he peeked around the corner of the elevator for a moment, then pulled her out after him. They ran to the first car they came to and crouched down behind it. She could hear odd sounds echoing in the garage; sounds that she'd never heard before. It sounded like rasping and groaning, and she couldn't fathom what could be making those noises.
Red took her phone out of her hand, then stood up and shined the light in front of him and whispered, "Stand up and you'll see what I've been trying to explain to you."
She stood up quickly and peered over the car, then froze, her jaw dropping involuntarily. The light was illuminating something so grotesque, so horrifying, that she couldn't come up with words to explain its appearance. She stood there, open-mouthed, until Red turned to her, his face solemn. "That's why we're in trouble. There's been a viral outbreak, and people are turning into those "creatures", for lack of a better word, when they die. Last I heard, New York and New Jersey have already been overrun. It's all happened in a manner of a few hours time, and the "experts" don't know how to slow it down. They've already started setting up safe zones, and are recommending people head to those." He shook his head and looked at her, his teeth worrying his bottom lip, "I don't think that would be a good idea."
Liz still hadn't said a word. Her heart was pounding uncontrollably and she felt like she was going to pass out. She started to sway, and Red grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. He put the phone in his pocket, then began rubbing slow circles in-between her shoulder blades, "Lizzy, breathe."
She took deep gulping breaths, calmed by Red's soothing touches, and felt her heart begin to slow. She pulled back, her eyes questioning, "Where is everyone? Dembe? Ressler? Meera?"
He shook his head, "I don't know. Cell phone service cut out hours ago, and I haven't been able to find anyone; not even Dembe."
She heard shuffling sounds coming closer, so Liz took her phone out of Red's pocket and shined the light over the top of the car again. The creature was close, closer than she was comfortable with. She fumbled for her gun, until Red's hand stopped her. "I'll take care of it. It seems head-shots are the only thing that truly "kills" them." He brought his gun around and shot it in the center of its forehead. It went down immediately, but the gunshot echoed loudly around the garage and she winced. If they were attracted to sound, then that going to attract a whole horde of them. She tugged on his arm, "Let's go grab as much ammo as we can carry, then get out of here while we still can."
He nodded, then followed after her into the elevator. She was grateful for emergency generators. They rode up to the armory in silence, and Liz sagged against the wall. She couldn't believe this was happening. It seemed like a nightmare, and she wasn't completely sure she wasn't actually dreaming. "Red, I need you to hit me."
He raised his eyebrows at her, surprised, "Whatever for?"
She pushed herself off the wall and walked over to him, "Because I'm not sure that I'm awake."
He shook his head, "Sweetheart, I'm not going to hit you."
She grimaced, "Please, I need to know."
Red moved closer to her, his chest inches from hers, and cupped her jaw with his hand, then moved his fingers slowly over her cheek. She looked at him questioningly, and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. She was surprised at first, but as his lips slid over hers insistently, she realized that she hadn't moved an inch. She began to kiss him back, and pushed him against wall of the elevator, one leg in between his. She pressed her chest against his, and just as she was about to take things further, he broke the kiss off with a 'pop'. Then said in a voice that was an octave lower than normal,"We've arrived, and we need to begin moving. It's not safe being out here in the open."
She blinked. She had temporarily forgotten everything, and groaned when it all came back to her. She wiped her mouth, "I'm still not sure that this isn't a dream, because kissing me is something you don't do in real life."
He grimaced, "Well you're just going to have to take my word for it, Lizzy. This is entirely too real."
Red put his hand on the small of her back and led her quickly towards the armory. Her thoughts were a swirling mess, flitting between their kiss in the elevator, and what she had just saw in the parking garage. The fact that she had forgotten herself during Red's kiss was surprising, and something that she needed to examine further when she had a second to think.
They reached the armory soon after, and Red found two large duffel bags and threw one to her. They loaded as much ammo and as many firearms as they could fit in the bags and their coats, then began walking back to the elevator.
As they passed a room, they heard the familiar groaning and raspy breathing. They stopped, and Red moved in front of her and shined the light in front of him. The light illuminated Ressler's decaying face, and Liz let out a strangled cry at the sight of Donald as one of those monsters. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she put her hand over her mouth to stifle the sobs. She didn't even know that Ressler had been in the building. The whole situation suddenly became real to her, and she didn't know how to process any of it. Red glanced back at her once in concern, then turned to Ressler as he approached them with his arms outstretched and mouth wide open, groaning and growling. Liz couldn't watch any longer, and turned away as Red raised his gun and shot Ressler in the head.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her body towards Red, making sure to avoid looking at the body on the floor behind him. She kept reminding herself that she needed to be strong, and as much as she wanted to, now wasn't the time to break down and cry. There would be time to mourn her friends later. She glanced at Red momentarily, masking her heartbreak, "Let's go."
Red grabbed her around the elbow and they made it down to the elevator without further incident. It was nearing 2:00 AM and Liz felt the pull of sleep. Her adrenaline was starting to wear off, and after such a taxing day, she felt more tired than she had in a while.
They rode down the elevator and Liz leaned against Red's side, while trying not to make it too obvious. He moved and put his arm around her waist, then pulled her against him tightly and kissed her temple and whispered , "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know he was your friend."
She could only nod, and sucked in a breath to quell the emotions trying to force their way out of her. The elevator pinged loudly, and the doors opened. Red released her, then led her towards his car that was parked a short distance away. They were halfway there when Liz glanced to her left. There had to be twenty of those monsters making their way towards them; they were way too close. "Red! Run faster!"
She saw Red glance over his shoulder, then quicken his pace. She couldn't keep up with the heavy bag of guns weighing her down, and she felt the creatures move closer to her. She wasn't going to make it. They were going to get to her before she could make it to the relative safety of the car.
Liz screamed as she felt a cold hand grab her arm.
Author's Note: I've been trying to put this together for a while now, but I don't know if it's interesting enough for people to want to read more. It would be fun to write Red and Liz in a zombie apocalypse. I'll definitely continue if there's interest, but only if there's enough. If you like it, and want to see what happens next, then let me know please. :) Thanks for reading.