I don't own The Blacklist and I don't make money with fanfiction.

Summary: Liz makes a mistake that blows her cover on an undercover operation with Reddington in order to find the next Blacklister. Naturally, he's not amused when she screws up.

(I feel like this is a little OOC...and you'd better be 18+ before you read this)

xxxxx Lesson in self control:

Liz had no idea how the hell she could be so stupid. The evening had been a success and they even got the identity of the man known as "The Connector". Then, for some reason she didn't want to admit, she screwed up. He was the link between criminals all over the world. Nobody knew his name or what he looked like. He set up meetings with criminal politicians, bankers, murderers, rapists, drug dealers...every kind of criminal one could imagine. She didn't know how Red could be sure it was him they would meet at the gala, but when she saw him, she immediately knew how. His name was Jonathan Cunningham, a man in his late 50ies, good looking, charming, but totally inconspicuous at first sight. The perfect middle man.

The plan was to attend a gala where Cunningham would deliver a speech and get to know him before taking him down.

Liz and Red were having an affair for some weeks now in secret, nobody suspected anything. They loved each other, that was for sure, but it was more like a sex-affair. A few times a week, they met somewhere, sometimes at a hotel room, sometimes at her home, but most times at one of his save-houses, and slept together. She always stayed the night and had breakfast with him. Some people would consider it a weird relationship, but they were happy with it. If they had a real relationship like normal people, they would both end up in prison. Moreover, his 'business' was something she didn't need to know about because after all, she was an FBI agent and he a criminal. Having an affair with one of the most dangerous men in the world was highly illegal for someone in her position. Most times, she trusted Red, even if there where secrets between them. She knew he would tell her about them one day, so she tried not to be too annoyed about the fact that he knew so much more about her past than she did.

The night of the gala, Red wore his tux and she wore a dark blue cocktail dress with a small golden diamond in the middle of her cleavage. Red was standing behind her and watched her while she brushed her hair and put dark red lipstick on.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart."

"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself." she teased.

"And remember, if you make the slightest mistake-"

"I KNOW! You've told me this a hundred times, Red. I promise I won't make a mistake. I'm an experienced agent and I know what I'm doing."

"But if-"

"NO! This won't happen, I promise. And don't tell me about the 'what-ifs'. I'm aware that we'll lose his trail if I let him slip away. Now leave it alone. We have to get going, come on."

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. Always so impatient. Don't interrupt me when I'm talking to you. And yes, we have to get going. Behave when the others are watching our every move from the surveillance van. You don't want them to find out and-"

"They won't."

"If I wouldn't love you so much, I would slap you right now. Let's go and behave yourself."

xxxxx

The main part of the evening went off as planned, after Cunningham's speech, Liz introduced herself and could easily start a conversation with him, while Red was talking to some shady people in the distance. She was stunned by Cunningham, he was almost as charming and manipulating as Red, but not such an obvious psychopath as he was. She knew what to do next. Her job was to get him into a room alone and wait for the FBI to take him down. They would enter through a hidden entry which looked like a closet. She was supposed to do small talk with The Connector until the takedown. The task was easy; Red had told her to never turn her back to him, be prepared for everything, stay calm all the time and wait patiently for the rest of the team. And most important: never, never show any signs that she could be a cop. 'He would notice', Red had told her, 'he hates cops and he sees it at first sight if you don't watch out and pay attention to your usual tells'.

But she did just that. When Cunningham placed a hand at the back of her neck and tried to hit on her, hers went to her right hip, where her gun usually was. It was a cop instinct in dangerous situations. He saw her hand reach for her imaginary gun and immediately knocked her out with a punch on her temple. He got away, and it was her fault.

A few hours later, she woke up in Red's current house, now wearing her sleepshirt and the black panties she had worn underneath her dress. He had changed her clothes while she was knocked out.

"Lizzie."

"Hm? Red? I'm so sorry I let him slip away. There's no excuse..."

"No, there isn't." He glared at her in the same way he had glared at her before she had stabbed him with a pen. She could see the cold anger in his eyes and wondered why he had been sitting at her bed all the time. She had done exactly what he suspected could happen. Unfortunately, there had been no plan b.

"You're lucky we got him although you screwed up. Donald played Superman once again and took him down while jumping from a roof into the river and shot him during the 'flight'...you should thank him in two weeks."

"Why two weeks? Did Cooper suspend me? This isn't my fault!"

"Say that again."

"Hu?"

"Say that again."

"Oh. This isn't my fault!"

"Yes, it is. But he didn't suspend you, the doctor said you need to rest after the attack. Cunningham hit your left temple pretty hard, it was close. A little harder and you would be in a coma, Lizzie."

"Oh my. Then why am I not in a hospital?" She already knew the answer...

"I pulled a few strings..."

"Ah. Typical."

He glared at her once again and there was something threatening in his gaze that scared Liz. He really could be scary if he wanted to. She met his gaze, blushed and looked away.

"I'm sorry, Red. I really am." she whispered.

"I know. But that doesn't mean you don't get punished as soon as you're fit again. Rest now."

He got up from the armchair he had been sitting in and kissed her bruised temple, making her wince and whimper a little. He left the room and she could tell he was still mad at her.

xxxxx One week later:

Liz felt better. The painkillers Red gave her worked, but although he took care of her and made sure she had everything she needed to get better, he was being short with her, cold, angry.

"Red, when do you plan on stop being mad at me? God dammit I'm sorry! Please."

"Soon." He grinned and kissed her forehead.

The next morning, he came to her bed and asked her if she was ok, he seemed to be less angry, almost tender when he stroked over her hair and kissed the top of her head.

"How are you feeling? And don't tell me you're fine. You-"

"But-"

"No." He raised an eyebrow.

"Alright. Firstly, I'm not yet fine and secondly, I'm sorry."

"Good. Now get up and take a shower."

"Um...why?"

"Because I tell you to. We will be busy today. You still haven't received your punishment for screwing up."

xxxxx

She stepped out of the shower and noticed that there weren't any towels in the bathroom. Sighing, she squeezed and brushed her hair to get rid of most of the water and went back to the bedroom. It didn't bother her to walk around in the house naked when she was alone with Red. She would have never had done this when she was married to Tom, but Red gave her some kind of self confidence that was almost over the top. Some people would say he had a bad influence on her. Of course her co-workers had noticed her change of character, but neither of them questioned it. She was looking forward to see them again next Monday, but didn't really want to admit her mistake to them and Cooper. It surely would be a nightmare, but nevertheless, she wanted to work again.

When she entered the bedroom, she had a bad feeling. Red was still mad at her, although she knew he was trying to forgive her. Usually, she was the unforgiving one when they had a fight, but this time, she felt like she had fucked up way too much to deserve forgiveness so soon. He was standing in front of her with a devilish smile on his lips.

Oh oh, this won't end good for me, she thought.

"On your knees."

There was so much authority in his voice that she obeyed without asking why. She looked down to the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

"Look at me, Lizzie."

She did as he said. There was so much in his eyes: anger, coldness, the usual amusement when he degraded her and desire, but also something dangerous; the psychopath in him. She swallowed. Hard. She was afraid of him for the first time in her life.

"Hands behind your back and cross your ankles." He went around her to see if she obeyed and then went back to stand in front of her.

"So, Lizzie. Do you know what you deserve for your behavior last week? A lesson."

Liz felt like she was on trial. This was much more unpleasant than she expected. Her self confidence was gone, she felt vulnerable and embarrassed.

"Do you accept your punishment?"

She nodded.

"I expect a verbal answer, sweetheart."

"Yes, I accept it. ...Like I had a choice..." she muttered under her breath.

"What was that? There's no reason to be cheeky. Now look up at me again or I make you."

"I can't."

"Well then."

A second later, she felt a knife between her breasts. He let the knife wander up to her throat slowly, she barely felt it. Then he tilted her head up and cupped her jaw with his hand. She realized that it wasn't exactly fear that she felt, it was excitement. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she took pleasure in this 'criminal and victim' game. Red gently pulled her hair back, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Now straighten yourself up and lay back on the bed."

Liz stood up and saw that the place on the carpet where she had been kneeling down was completely wet. She still hadn't had the chance to get a dry towel. She sighed annoyed and lay down.

"Something wrong?" he asked with fake interest. He knew full well that she was dripping water on the floor. She felt slightly uncomfortable laying wet from the shower on the bed, not knowing what he was planning to do to her.

"Spread your legs...good. Now listen to me closely. You screwed up because you couldn't control your tells and your cop instincts. We almost didn't take him down because of you. What I want you to do now is to draw attention to yourself. Don't move, don't talk, don't make a sound at all-"

"But I am allowed to breath?" she cut him off.

"Listen to me. Usually, if I would be as angry with you as I am now, I would restrain you so that you couldn't move the tiniest inch and then give you the most tantalizing foreplay you could ever imagine."

Her skin wasn't the only part of her body that was sopping wet by now...

"But today" he explained in his amazing voice, "you need the strength to hold still without restrains. Understood? I'm going to teach you a lesson in self control."

"Oh no, no, no, Red. I can't do that! Please!"

"I don't care, you have to. If you don't do as I say, you will feel the sensation of a pain that you've never experienced before."

Liz was panting, her body was so hot that even the last drop of water had evaporated. Her legs were shaking and she thought she was close to a heart attack. How on earth had she deserved a punishment like this? She had made one, one single mistake and now Red was telling her basically that he would hurt her if she wouldn't obey...She asked herself if it had been a mistake to have this kind of relationship with him. Oh, she would make him pay for this next time. She just hoped she would have earned his forgiveness after he was finished with her.

"Now put your hands above your head and close your eyes. I expect you to keep them closed all the time. Whatever...item you'll feel on your body, you will not struggle against it, you have to stand it without complaining. Keep quiet and don't relax too much, this will not be particularly pleasurable for you under these terms. And when I'm done with you, you'll appreciate the advantages of being restrained during sex. Now focus, this will take a while."

Liz did what he told her, but wasn't totally convinced if she could stand this lesson without the pain he threatened her with. She knew she had absolutely no self control in bed, at least not with him. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. This wasn't going to be easy...

The first touch she felt was soft, a feather.

Is it only one? Fine, I can cope with that. Like I couldn't control myself...oh God no, there are two...dammit. Liz really tried not to think, but her mind seemed to need a distraction from the torture her body was going through. Red let one feather wander over the shapes of her body while he was tickling her belly with the other. Then he used both feathers to stroke her hips, she offered him her thighs, but her pushed them down.

"I said don't move. I'm the one in charge, not you. Now turn around."

She lay on her stomach, feeling how Red brushed her hair over her shoulder to tease the sensitive skin of her neck and back for a good long while before the feathers brushed over her butt, the hollows of her knees and finally over the soles of her feet. She giggled but remembered he had told her not to make a sound when he pressed both her ankles onto the mattress with one hand. There was a short, but sharp pain, five times in a row. He had actually hit her soles with a whip just because she had giggled...he had been serious when he told her she should keep quiet to avoid pain...

"Ouch!" Liz breathed quickly into the pillow.

"Lizzie, I told you to be quiet during your punishment. Is that so hard?"

She shook her head. "Well, in this case, I guess you can take a little more."

He hit her butt with a riding whip ten times. She felt tears running down her cheeks and tried desperately not to cry louder, but the pain drove her insane.

"Shh, Lizzie. This part is over."

Red kissed each buttock one time and turned her on her back again. He knelt down between her legs, skimming her inner thighs. His thumb played with her clit, Liz expected him to stop rubbing it before she climaxed, but he actually let her come this time. She didn't care that he told her to keep quiet and let herself go. She felt save with him and thought he was finished with her...

"Do you realize that what you did was far from quiet? Girl, you need some discipline."

He shocked her by whipping directly on her clit, within a split second, she came again. She threw her head back and screamed out in pain.

"Ah! Damn it, Red, you can't do that! This is plain torture..."

"Uh, Lizzie. That was a mistake. Didn't I tell you not to talk? And don't you dare rubbing your thighs together. That won't soothe the pain. Calm down."

Red kissed the tears from her cheeks affectionately.

"I show you what torture is. But I want you to stay calm and don't move. If you make any noise, we go back to that whip between your legs. Do you want that?"

She shook her head violently.

"Good. Now spread your legs and get your punishment."

Liz didn't know what to expect. She felt guilty because she had enjoyed the pain so much...She could have never imagined something like that with Tom. She obeyed Red and tried to bear the burning pain between her legs. She almost cried out loud again when she felt what he was doing. This damn feather was back and teased her burning clit mercilessly.

"I want you to listen to me now. If you can stand that for five minutes without moving your hips, you can have slow, tender lovemaking. If not, I'm doing this for another five minutes and then we make love."

When the feather came back, Liz thought she couldn't even stand that for one minute. But she wanted release. So badly. She knew she already had had two orgasms, but she wanted Red right now. Unfortunately, she couldn't do anything against her body reactions. She pushed her hips in his direction and tried to press her legs together. It was hard enough not to moan, how should she control anything else then?

"Oh, you like that, don't you? Well, then it's another five minutes." he teased her.

After an eternity, Red gave her what she wanted. Slow, tender, romantic lovemaking without any pain.

"Lizzie?"

"Yeah?"

"I just love to watch your face when you're trying to control yourself...and I'm sorry for being so rude to you. I was so angry with you for screwing up last week and...well, you know you deserved it, right?"

"I know. Don't think too much about being too rude to me. I enjoyed it, Red. I just want you to know that you'll get your payback...I bet you wouldn't stand what you did to me the past two hours."

"Try me." he grinned at her and kissed her on the cheek.

The end

xxxxx

Thanks for reading! I don't know from which corner of my sick mind these stories are coming from, but I hope you like them. Please review :)