FREAKY FRIDAY

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing the characters for fun. Maybe if is ask nicely? Dear Mr. Bokenkamp…

A/N: This is my Secret Santa/Christmas gift to Lourdes, who gave me carte blanche. I hope you like it dear, I even 'spiced' it up just for you. Multi-chapter piece if you do. Welcome to 2015!

Special thanks to my lovely beta, the ever so charming Professor jadenanne7. : )

XOXOXO

CH 1. – A 'simple' game of chess.

Liz was flying, the wind rustling through her white feathers, her wings spread out as far as they could reach, floating in the air. Weightless. Happy. Free. No past. No future. Just enjoying the scenery...the majesty of the mountains, endless sea of green trees, colorful birds and a picturesque clear blue lake. A characterization of nature's rugged beauty and peacefulness. A place she longed to be. The bright sun warmth her skin and elated her heart. Why couldn't life be as simple as this? A blue bunting bird accompanied her, smiled with his curious eyes and opened his mouth as a way of greeting, chirping happily at first until not a moment later, a different noise erupted from her small companion. So shrill that it pained her eardrums. Liz eyed the tiny creature in wonder, speculating about how it could produce such a large sound. Another shout followed. The tone was oddly familiar. The ringing…she had heard it before...something was wrong. Her wings began to feel heavy, unstable, wavering in the sky and fluttering. Liz turned her head to glance at her modified forelimbs. They were tied up with chains, pulling her down as another ringing tone assaulted her ears. Wait...ringtone? All of the sudden, she was unable to fly and plummeted to earth, weighted down by rocks. Trapped. Fearful. She was falling. Falling fast...

Ring….Ring…!

Liz's body came back to earth with a jolt. Her heartbeat pounded erratically in her chest, like she had just run a marathon.

'God damn it!'

She did not like to be woken up, especially since she had trouble sleeping the moment a particular, eccentric man decided to upend her life. It was such a lovely dream. She longed to be somewhere else, be someone else. Something else.

She lifted her head and glared at the red digits of her digital alarm clock. It made her irritably aware that it was just a few minutes past 12 a.m. Great, she had only been sleeping for two hours, roughly.

Ring…Ring…!

"Ugh, shut up!" Liz harshly whispered, trying to block the irksome sound by burying her head deeper into her warm, soft pillow. A few more rings and it eventually stopped.

Whoever had called must have misdialed. Work didn't need her for a few days. She had some downtime and was looking forward to a lovely weekend of R&R with Hudson. Nothing more, nothing less.

Ring…Ring…!

Liz squeezed her still-closed eyes, praying that it would simply disappear once again. Evaporate into thin air.

Ring…Ring…!

No such luck.

She angrily felt around for her phone, grabbed the offending object off her bedside table, and placed it to her ear.

"Hello?" she groggily answered. Silence. No sound other than the crunching of someone eating, sizzling, and foreign voices in the background.

"Lizzie, were you sleeping?" a melodiously elated voice asked.

"Not anymore," Liz grunted, the sound muffled by her pillow. She was not in the mood for his antics. Not today.

Red disregarded her sour attitude and gibed, "In that case, could I tempt you in sharing a meal with me?"

'You have got to be kidding me! At this unholy hour? He doesn't even have the decency to act the least bit remorseful for waking me up. The audacity of him sometimes.'

"Red, it is12:05 A.M." Liz hissed, slowly rolling onto her back and snuggling her body further into the warm cocoon of her cotton comforter.

"Yes. I am well aware of the time. I am surprised that you are in so early," Red jested, his voice slightly higher pitched than usual. "It is Friday."

As if Liz had other plans on Friday, work ate up all of her time as it was. What was she suppose to do? Hang out with friends? Red was the closest thing to a friend she had these days. Everyone else had a life outside of work. Samar, Aram...even Ressler had a significant other. She wished things were different, but wishes didn't make anything real.

"I had a rough week…some criminal I work with decided to create havoc around the office and I paid the price with three stacks of paperwork," Liz tiredly replied.

She hoped he would understand that she was not up for it. Still, it didn't erase the guilt she felt. It was not often that he paid her the courtesy of calling her during their spare time. It was a pleasant change. Criminal. Asset. Partner. They had grown closer over the years. Bonded. Their relationship had evolved into something more.

The chewing stopped. "I am sorry for the inconvenience," Red sincerely apologized after a moment of silence. He knew that their grueling work schedule took a toll on the mind, body, and soul. A fact of which he was all too aware. Embodied. Shared.

'Damn him.'

The smallest change in nuances made her want to do about anything for him. Hook, line, and sinker.

Liz, worried her bottom lip. It was not her intent to make him feel bad about it. After all she had chosen to walk this path with him. Red really was a blessing and a curse. Her perfect elusive mastermind mystery. A profiler's wet dream. Her friend. They had gone through some hellish experiences together. Shared a lot of laughter, tears and secrets. Secrets that would have destroyed most, only made them stronger. Forgiveness was never easy, but they truly had something special. Unique. Indestructible.

"No you are not, but that's okay…I am going back to sleep now, Red. I'll talk to you tomorrow?" Liz slowly breathed out, yawning, still with her eyes closed. Tired...she was oh so dog-tired. Tomorrow would be better.

"No, you won't," Red retorted, matter-of-factly.

Her stomach plummeted to the floor. That was not what she expected to hear. But then again, he was nothing if not unpredictable.

She huffed and shifted her body until her back was resting against the headboard and wrapped her right hand loosely around the cool, wooden rail.

"Hmm, why is that?" Liz muttered, annoyed, her eyebrows catapulting in a V shaped frown. She was giving up. Done with being friendly. What was his problem?

"Lizzie, come dine with me. I would appreciate your gracious company. Tremendously," Red tried again. Pleading. Huskily. Irresistible.

'Manipulator...'

His voice vibrated through her body as if he were aware of the effect it had on her. Will always have on her. Liz had told him this once, in an inebriated state, and profoundly blushed when Red worded all kinds of incoherent things in her ear. Russian. Spanish. Italian. Even some grotesque verses in French, which she recognized from the lady marmalade song. Corny, but, oh so sexy. They never spoke of it again, but he unquestionably had not forgotten. It was just her luck that Red had a steel-trap mind and an elephant memory. She had vouched to never consume large amounts of alcohol in his presence again. Ever.

"Why is it suddenly so important?" Liz attentively probed while slowly opening her eyelids. Soon enough, her eyes began to adjust to the hazy darkness around her as she stared fixedly at the cold, stark, empty wall across from her. Her bedroom was barely lit, sans for the mysterious ray of moonlight peeking between her heavy curtains.

She tightened her grip on the headboard. Caving. Maybe sharing a meal wouldn't be so bad. She couldn't get back to sleep now anyway. She would undoubtedly dream of him. Mister inaccessible. Her dark knight in very fine suit of armor.

His gruff, sultry voice on the other end of the phone brought her out of her reverie. "I don't want to be alone on my birthday."

Oh crap, did she forget? Her notifications were on. 'Is it the 7th of February already?'

Liz deeply blushed, as if he were right there in her room, looking down at her. Caught in the act. Dreaming of the birthday boy. It made her heartbeat elevate, flutter. Her stomach tightened and her breath caught in her throat. 'Act normal'

"Happy birthday, Red," she burst out and pinched her nose, almost hitting herself with her phone. 'What happened to act normal?'

Thankfully Red chuckled, not in the least disappointed that it had slipped her mind. More delighted that she was still hanging on. He chewed the inside of his cheek and pursed his lips.

"Thank you. Now, come join me, Lizzie. I promise you I'll make it worthwhile. They have these lovely dumplings, I have no earthly idea what they contain, but they are divine. And their Chinese herbal tea..." he took a deep breath, slurped, slowly swallowed and breathed out, exhaling a sound stuck between a grunt and a moan. Pure unadulterated pleasure. "It's simply a delight…I must insist that you come and try it. Or anything else you may desire…" Red coaxed with his eyes closed, irrefutably grinning, imagining her in bed, listening to him. If he couldn't persuade her to join him, he would make up an excuse to hear her.

Persistent. Convincing. Liz would give him that. It made her smile that he valued her presence so much. Red would say anything to talk her into trying new things and experience the wonders of what life had to offer with him. He wanted her to live more, to play, to have fun and she did, just not enough. It was time for a change.

She had already decided to go, and honestly, didn't need a reward, but that didn't mean she was going to turn his offer down either.

"Anything?" she gently tested through half lidded eyes, one eyebrow lifted, purposely lacing her words with double entendre.

Liz let go of the rails and weaved her fingers through her tangled, silken locks with a cheeky smile gracing her face. Imagining him seeing her in her unruly state of undress. In no more than an oversized white T-shirt and black lace. Making him uncomfortable. Squirm.

She could hear Red almost choking on his tea as he sipped, spurted, and tried to hide his cough. Perfect timing. Victory.

They flirted, they bantered, but it never went further than that. It was comfortable. Pleasant. Welcomed. A silent mutual agreement between partners.

Red groaned. He fell right into her trap. She wouldn't win that easily. Time to show Lizzie whom the rooster was.

"Within reason. But, yes, Lizzie...anything," he gruffly retorted, his throat slightly hoarse due to the tea that had burned him. Payback is a bitch. He will make sure that she would try every dish he ordered. Starting with fertilized duck eggs.

Liz gasped...her plan had backfired. The low and smoky dulcet tones of his voice had the power to send an electric current down her spine and set her nerve endings on fire. Her right hand stilled, tangled in her locks and pulled at a strand of hair. It stung. She whimpered and bit her lip in order to keep quiet. Frozen. The thought of getting anything she wanted from him send a shrill of excitement through her veins and warmed her from the inside out. The short hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her left hand tingled, the phone almost slipping from her clammy palm. Her fingers barely held on. She needed to calm down before he noticed something was wrong.

The rhythm of his breath eventually soothed her mind and guided her into a state of hypnotic relaxation. Collecting her salacious thoughts, Liz slowly came back to reality.

"Okay. I'll be there as soon as I can. Forward me the address," she breathlessly worded. Uncontrollably. Uncaring. It was his birthday after all. Why not indulge him on his special day? It was also their first time celebrating it together. Celebrating it at all.

"How delightful. No need, Dembe will be there in..." Red cheerfully replied, smiling from ear to ear. He glanced at his watch, squinting at the numbers. Dembe had left a while ago. "I estimate, roughly ten minutes."

Liz's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The bastard knew that she would say yes even before she did. Of course he did. Red had the ability to sell a car to a blind man. She was no exception. Queen to B4. Check.

"Really, Red? You cannot be serious. How do you expect me to be ready in ten minutes!?" Liz hissed, jumping out of bed, the unexpected chill of her bedroom very unpleasant against her bare arms and legs, as was his ridiculously untimely request. Yet, here she was, frantically shoveling through her closet like a wild banshee, searching for something appropriate. Nothing was quite right.

'Lights would be good.' Yeah, some light could be helpful. She flicked it on. The bright yellow light irritated her eyes, and she squinted at the sudden intrusion and groaned.

'Maybe lights off was better,' she thought after seeing her disheveled reflection in the oval shaped mirror above her dresser and rumbled though her drawers. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. She could always forgo the clothes and just go in her birthday suit.

Liz grinned at her own ridiculousness. She would definitely get arrested for indecent exposure, but the look on Red's face would be priceless and well worth a smudge on her record. Getting fired however, was not.

She let her hands rest on her hips and pursed her lips. Maybe she should just grab something random instead and go with it. Or maybe not.

Liz was experiencing the agony of being an indecisive woman. She had never been bothered before. How come she was now? She let out a heavy sigh and picked up the cell left on the dresser during her frenzy, hoping that Red would still be there. He always was.

"I have nothing to wear," she exhaled, embarrassed for even bringing it up and rolled her eyes at herself. As if he would care about what she looked like.

Red's rich, deep, warm laughter erupting from the other side was well worth it. Infectious. A smile of her own mimicked his. The sound brought the depth of her feelings right up to the surface. Feelings she'd long thought buried. Familiar yet alien. True happiness within her grasp. Frightening and forbidden.

"Relax, Lizzie, I am sure that Dembe wouldn't mind waiting for a bit. I do have one…small request," Red mischievously uttered.

"YES?" Liz curiously questioned when he remained silent for more than a second, while sorting through her dull wardrobe one handed. She was in desperate need of some new apparel and added it to her mental to do list. Shopping.

"Dress down and wear something red," Red quickly replied with a sly smirk, as if she could see him through the mobile device.

"What? Why?" Liz bellowed to no one. The dial tone in her ear let her know that Red had already hung up. 'Son of a bitch'

He just loved to reel her up and constantly kept her on her toes. Continuously let her conjecture about his next move. Always at least one ahead. It is what had drawn her to him. His very intrusive, enigmatic prowess. Unbeatable, until the day came when he no longer was. It was lonely at the top.

Liz huffed out a deep breath, tossed her mobile back on the dresser, and rubbed her temples with the tips of her index and middle fingers. She could still feel the affects of the sleeping pills, but nonetheless dragged her feet across the floor with an armful of clothing and made herself get ready in the bathroom.

…..

Should she really indulge him by wearing something red? Or be rebellious and do the opposite because it was in her nature? Red vs. Red.

She glanced at her semi-put together reflection and smirked as if she had just came up with an ingenious plan. Why not both?

By the time she was done applying her lip gloss at least 15 minutes had passed. Not a record time, but she blamed her partner for that. Only Red could persuade her to have dinner with him in the middle of the night, and she was the only one insane enough to accept.

Liz fastened the buckles of her black leather ankle boots and ruffled Hudson's fur; the small canine waggled his tail and barked in return. The sound warmed her heart. She really loved her little man. The one constant in her life, besides Red.

"Later, dude," Liz called out to her dog.

Tossing him a biscuit, she grabbed her dark waterfall front leather jacket and hurried out the front door. There was no need to make Dembe wait longer than necessary.

A thought struck her as she rapidly descended the staircase of her apartment building.

'Hold up...if Dembe is here, why did Red say that he was alone?...Raymond Reddington, I'll make sure that this will be your last birthday ever.'

The birthday boy had no idea what kind of gracious company Liz could be, but he would find out. Soon enough.

XOXOXO

It is a nice break from "Touch of your fingertips" but I have not forgotten about it and will continue to update both stories. Let me know what you think and guess what will happen next. :-) Love reviews and feedback.

Music:

LABELLE - Lady Marmalade (1974)

Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? ;-)