Hey ya all:)

Since the prologue was kinda short, here comes the first chapter already:)

I tried a bit of humor, but I think I failed miserably;););)

Thanks for all the favs, reviews and follows:) You guys are the best!

Here ya go with the first chapter! Have fun!

Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine(for more see Prologue:))


Chapter 1

"This is getting ridiculous, Lizzie dear."

The sickly sweet voice of Raymond Reddington was going through Liz' mind like sharp needles. Yes, it was getting ridiculous, but she just couldn't help it.

"I don't care, Red. There is no need at all to follow this guy by rowboat. We can safely use a car and just walk the rest of the way. Liz knew she would win this argument. One way or another, but she would not put one foot into this sorry excuse of a rowboat Red had found leaning at the shore. She eyed the water suspiciously, not feeling at all happy about what she saw. The depths of the river were murky and looked uncomfortably cold, not to forget the brutality with which they were moving downstream. No…not one foot anywhere near it.

"You will have to go alone if you insist on traveling in this can." Liz was not surprised to see the deep frown on Red's face and his narrowed eyes focused solely on her. No doubt, trying to find out what was wrong without asking. Liz couldn't care less. She didn't know what was wrong herself, so how could he find the answer?

"Are you afraid of water, Lizzie?" his face cleared of the frown and she could see plain curiosity in his eyes.

"Hah…" she scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively. "You do realize that I head to pass a lot of swim tests to actually graduate as an Agent, right? Jeez…and I thought you were supposed to be the master mind here." She watched him jump out of the boat, still holding a long rope in his hand and walk slowly towards her.

"Interesting. You are scared only of wild waters then." He smiled at her, but hidden underneath the boyish grin, was a hint of concern that Liz didn't want to acknowledge for the time being. Before she could think of a comeback, her phone rang in her pocket.

"Please excuse me for a moment." She drawled, earning a glare from Red.

"Hi Ressler."

Red rolled his eyes and turned his back to her in frustration. Ressler had the worst timing ever. Red looked back over his shoulder, seeing Lizzie walk a few steps away from him, still talking into her phone. Red had heard from Sam that Liz always had been cautious when it came to water and she never swam in any kind of lake and wouldn't even get near the ocean. Sam had never told him though, that it was that serious. He was anxious to question Lizzie about it, although he was sure it would be more painful and harder than pulling teeth out of the mouth of a hippo. Red looked at the sun standing high and squinted, finally closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. One ear perked when it noticed, Liz' voice getting louder. Other than listening, Red did not move at all.

"I will not do that, Ressler."

Silence.

"You are crazy."

Red grinned crookedly. That's my girl.

"I'll tell him."

With that sentence, she seemed to end the call and march back to Red. Euh…trouble, Red thought and sighed. He didn't move, but waited for Liz to stand beside him and sigh as well.

"We're in trouble." Her voice was even and serious.

"I gathered that from your very joyful conversation."

Liz didn't answer and Red finally looked over to her.

"That bad?"

Liz shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't think it is going to be bad for you, since you love to run after bad boys."

Red grimaced, but didn't say anything.

"I was telling everyone about my vacation for weeks. How happy I was to FINALLY get more sleep than three hours and to just laze around on the couch without someone, who shall remain anonymous, calling me every five minutes to ask me to breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or some kind of other meal." She finally paused to inhale and turned to Red. "I don't get how you can eat so much without gaining ANY weight. Do you have any idea what I have to do to get all those calories out of my body after all of your dinner invitations?"

Red burst into laughed suddenly, bending forward, trying to get enough air into his lungs.

"I am happy to make you laugh at my expense." Liz commented dryly. "Do you want to know what is going on now or not, Red?"

"There is always time for laughter, Lizzie. Especially when it is you making me laugh."

Liz only rolled her eyes, tapping her food impatiently.

"A friend of yours contacted the FBI."

Red became instantly serious, facing Liz and frowning. He didn't have any friends who could contact the FBI to reach him.

"He is threatening. Says he wants you dead…so basically the usual scenario."

Red was concerned by the fact that Liz wouldn't look at him. There was more to tell, he guessed.

"Whom exactly is he threatening, Lizzie? Me or the FBI?"

Liz mumbled something under her breath and shuffled her feet, kicking casually at a rock in the process.

"I'm sorry…." Red said and leaned forward until his face was mere inches from hers. "I didn't get that, can you repeat it for me? The age and the hearing…you know how it is."

"You're not old, Red." Liz chuckled and glanced at him.

"I very well may not be, but that would mean that you were talking as if you drank too much and I didn't want to step on your delicate toes, my dear."

"Stop it. You wouldn't care when a ton of bricks fell on my toes."

Red gasped in mock hurt.

"Of course I would. If someone let them fall on them that isn't me."

"Oh, so you say that you are allowed to hurt me and other are not?"

Red thought for a moment and then grinned.

"Basically…"

"No…" She stopped him with a hand thrust forward. "Don't finish the sentence. I don't want to know."

Red couldn't wipe the grin off his face, but he still wanted to know what was going on.

"Sooo….who was that friend?"

Liz sighed and Red recognized her reciting face.

"Half an hour ago a man named Carlos Harris called the HQ and wanted to talk to you. When they told him, they didn't have any contact with you and so on, he didn't buy it. Started to threaten some FBI Agents and said, that he was waiting for you to be brought to him as fast as possible. The longer it take the more people would die." Their features darkened simultaneously, while she was explaining the situation.

"You are still not telling the whole story, right?"

"How would you know that?"

"I know you."

"Barely."

"More than you think."

"From afar."

"Enough."

Liz grumbled, throwing her arms into the air.

"You always have to have the last word, do you?"

"Yes."

"It's annoying."

Red laughed, patting Liz' shoulder.

"It's fun for me."

"Of course." Liz scoffed. Abruptly, she turned around, walking in the direction where they have left their car and Dembe.

"Lizzie." Red called, looked back at the boat and then the rope in his hands. He threw the rope into the boat and hurried after Liz, who was already vanishing behind a bush. Thanks to his workouts he made himself do twice a week, he was able to catch up with her quiet quickly.

"You can't just walk away like that around here." He admonished, making Liz sigh deeply once again. "Don't sigh Lizzie, I mean it. The guy we are supposed to chase could be anywhere and what would you do if he jumped out of this bush here?"

"I would kick his butt." Liz answered, satisfied with herself to be able to find a good comeback.

"You're not prepared, he would surprise you and…."

"Stop it, Red. I'm fine. I am a big girl and can take care of myself."

While arguing, they finally reached the black car, standing hidden in the shadow of a huge tree. Dembe was leaning casually on the driver's door, smirking strangely at them.

"What are you grinning about?" Liz asked, huffing with exertion after the brisk walk over stones, grass and gravel. Maybe I should ask Ressler to workout with me more often.

"Ressler called." Dembe told her, but looked at Red.

"Obviously he didn't think she would tell you all the details."

Liz closed her eyes and muttered a curse under her breath. Why did Ressler always had to stuck his nose into her business with Red? Workout with Ressler is scratched, then.

"Pray tell." Red cooed, stretching his arms behind his back and clasping his hands together. "Seems that little Ressler is actually learning…and a snitch." He grinned maddeningly. "I like it, but Lizzy you should be careful around him. Who knows what other secrets he knows and decides to tell me."

"What? You mean you don't know all of them already?"

Before Red could answer, Dembe cleared his throat and started to speak.

"Shall I tell him or do you want to?"

"You two are unbelievable, you know that?" since it was a rhetorical question, no one bothered to answer her.

"Alright…" she huffed, now seriously in a bad mood. "He threatened me, ok? No big deal. I am getting threatened every other weekby some creep, so I've already gotten used to it."

She saw Red's playful smile vanished within seconds and she couldn't help but roll her eyes once again.

"Don't make that face, Red. I know what that means. You will drive off into the sunset and take care of the problem without contacting me for at least a month…"

"Lizzie this would be…"

"And I do understand…" she interrupted his beginning sentence rudely. "…but I am not going to sit at home like some damsel in distress and wait for my hero to come back."

"You mean I am…"

"And I do NOT mean that you ARE my hero. It was just a figure of speech. The bottom line is: I am going with you wherever it is you are going to go to get this guy."

"But Lizzie…"

"No, Red! I am not taking a no for an answer. I will come with you."

Lizzie inhaled deeply and was fascinated by the different emotions flashing across Red's face, settling finally on an amused grin, which confused her like nothing else. What was he smiling about? Didn't she just yell at him and demanded for him to change his plan?

"Actually, Lizzie. What I wanted to say was that it would be too dangerous to leave you alone. I don't trust the FBI and since I don't have the slightest clue, who this man could be, I would prefer to keep you close."

The dumfounded look on Liz's face was priceless. The fish imitation was something Red could look at all day long. If he had the time for it anyway, but regrettably he didn't.

"Close your mouth Lizzie. You'll catch viruses and bacteria."

"Flies." Dembe corrected.

"I know. But I wanted to be innovative."

Liz shook her head slowly, not believing what was happening. Those two would be her death.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dembe was driving the black, luxurious car through the streets of Washington, without a goal actually, just to give Liz and Red time to come to terms with the new situation they have been thrust in. He could hear them arguing since they stepped into the car, Red insisting that Liz should stay with them for the time being and Liz refusing vehemently. Dembe could actually understand where Liz was coming from. Finding out, that her husband was spying on her and never loved her and that her live was built on lies, she simply wanted to have some sort of control and also stay as independent as possible. But he understood Red too. Not knowing who your enemy is means not being able to predict his next move or even intentions and the authenticity of his threats. Dembe guessed that the ultimate decision would be up to fate. Liz and Red could be awfully stubborn.

"Please drive me home, Dembe." Liz' voice floated into the front of the car and Dembe was wondering why her voice was so calm and collected, when only a few minutes ago she had been yelling again.

He glanced into the review mirror and saw her leaning back into the seat and looking out the window. It seemed as if they haven't reached an agreement yet. Red was looking out of the opposite window and grumbled something. Within ten minutes they had reached Liz's house and Dembe stopped the car, only five meters from Liz' car.

"I will drive my own car to the blacksite, alrght?" She didn't wait for an answer, closed the door, rummaged through her bag and got the keys out.

"She isn't staying with us?"

"She agreed to one night."

"That's a small success."

"I would say it is a big success, considering who I am trying to convince to stay with me." Red said proudly, not leaving Liz out of his sight. She was opening the door and throwing her bag on the seat, before she turned around to look at Red who had rolled down the window.

"What now?" she snapped, but ceased all movement, when she saw Red's eyes fixed on something underneath her car. And then she heard it. A ticking.

tbc...


So that was the calm before the storm:) What ya think?