Just Thought You Should Know

Chapter 2: Luck

Disclaimer: Not mine, don't make money from this, I just love them.

Author's Note: Stupid one-sentence-story prompts. ::pouts:: Okay, so the current thing in the Lizzington FB group is a prompt every day, and you have to write a story only one sentence long. After the first prompt I had to sit down and expand my sentence into a story, and that's where we got Chapter 1. This is the next one. Original sentence at the end.

…:::…

Again, Dembe led the way as they exited the elevator. They'd ridden down from Liz's floor in silence, and as they passed through the lobby, Reddington was grateful for Dembe's watchful presence, as he found he wasn't aware of anything beyond his need to exit the building, and whether he was unable or unwilling, he hadn't spared a single thought to his surroundings or those watching him as he strode across the marble floor. The pair walked purposefully outside, and across the street to where Dembe had left the car.

Reddington wondered idly if Liz was watching him from her windows above as he opened the back door of the sedan with more force than was necessary, and dropped himself onto the back seat. He knew her living room faced this direction, but it was dark, and she was upset, and he had no reason to believe that she would recognize his shape from that many floors up.

If she was even at the window looking for him.

If she was even still in the apartment.

She was probably looking for some matches in order to burn the place down.

As he started the car, Dembe studied Reddington's stony face in the rearview mirror. "This might not mean much to you… but I'm proud of you," he said honestly.

Reddington shifted his gaze to meet Dembe's, but didn't respond.

"You did the right thing. No matter how hard it was to do," Dembe went on with a single nod. Reddington looked away out his window, and Dembe pulled the car out into traffic before adding gently, "You know... there is a Japanese proverb that says 'the day you decide to do it is your lucky day'."

Reddington frowned. "Dembe, you saw how…" He trailed off, and tried again. "What about that scene upstairs makes you think I'm at all lucky today?"

"Well… the glass she broke was not over your head," Dembe offered matter-of-factly.

Unable to keep the corners of his mouth from turning up, Reddington gave a short laugh, and nodded. "Yes… I suppose there's that," he agreed with a small smile.

…:::…

Original prompt, day 2: "Luck."

My original sentence: The next morning as he started the car, Dembe quietly asked him if he'd decided to stop thinking, and when Reddington failed to acknowledge the question or even meet the other man's eyes in the rearview mirror he added gently, "You know... there is a Japanese proverb that says 'the day you decide to do it is your lucky day'."

Reviews! Please! (And ha! I knew this whole one-shot thing wouldn't last. I'm just not built that way.)