Chapter 3: Bored

AN: Reviews bring my life. Thank you to anyone who read/reviewed this story! I own nothing.

Liz had only been back in the post office for ten minutes and already she was struggling with boredom. Her vacation had been lovely, extra lovely with her unexpected guest. Red had stayed in her guest room for the 5 remaining days of her vacation and they'd had a great time together without the stress of tracking down blacklisters. Liz had expected him to leave on 'business', but he had stayed all five days and Liz found herself very grateful for his company.

But now that she was back she was more than ready to get back to work. She had needed a week to get her life back together and now that she was more or less recovered from Tom (or at least a lot better than before) she needed a case. Liz had never been one to enjoy idleness, always looking forward to throwing herself into the next action.

She tried to focus back on her computer, she needed to get this paperwork done- she had a pile of nearly fifteen cases that needed to be typed up. She couldn't even remember taking on that many cases. She rubbed her eyes and checked her phone for the fifth time this morning for a text from 'Nick's Pizza.' No luck. Liz sighed, of all the times she needed a break Red decided to pick this time to give her one.

She dozed off, her head falling at an uncomfortable angle against her computer.

Red frowned at his phone. He had called Liz five times, and she hadn't picked up. He didn't have a case for her yet; he just wanted to check in. She had seemed fine during their vacation (the highlight of Red's year), but he wasn't sure how she'd be after she returned to work. He was unsure why she wasn't picking up, she had definitely arrived at the post office safely this morning (his people had confirmed that) and it wasn't like she has any cases to work on.

"Dembe, it looks like we're going to have a change in destination." Dembe turned the car around, instantly knowing where Red wanted to go.

Red walked into the post office, shades on so he could take in the room without looking suspicious. Everything looked normal, agents bustling around with papers and typing furiously away at keyboards. The shades were down in Liz and Ressler's office.

Red started towards it and almost got run over by a busy Ressler. Ressler noticed him at the last second, looking up from a stack of files just in time. He still bumped into Red, causing him to wheel around and come face to face with the agent.

"What are you doing here?" Ressler asked him, his eyes slitted in suspicion (and a little long-held contempt).

"Hello to you too Donald!" Red responded cheerily, "How have you been?"

Ressler ignored him, "Keen is in her office." He stalked off, thankfully heading in a different direction then their shared office. Red reached her door and knocked twice. There was no response. He had never knocked before, so he decided he might as well just enter.

He opened the door, "Lizzie, I must say I'm offended…" He trailed off when he saw Liz. She was scrunched over, her body awkwardly stretched out on the desk in front of her, the keyboard pressing into her face. Her pony tail was falling out and strands of hair were covering her face. Every few seconds she let out an adorable little snort that Red had learned was her way of snoring back at the beach house.

He paused at the door, smiling at the scene in front of him. Had Liz not gotten enough sleep during their vacation? Red had slept soundly for the first time in weeks knowing that Liz was only a room over.

Liz stirred and opened her eyes sleepily. She nearly fell out of her chair when she saw Red, clearly startled.

Red laughed, "Good morning Lizzie."

She seemed to get her bearings. She stretched, Red noticing that her neck was stiff (probably from being at such an awkward angle while she slept).

"Do you have a case?" she asked him, unable to keep the hopefulness out of her voice.

"Eager are we? You've only been back for," he glanced at his watch, "an hour now."

"Red…"

"I'm sorry to report that I do not have a case, but you seem to have your hands full with those files." Liz gave the pile a murderous look.

"Then why are you here?"

Red decided to ignore her tone and answered cheerfully, "You weren't answering your phone. I was making sure your FBI hadn't let you get kidnapped."

"Well if you're here you might as well help me on these cases…. Red get back here!" Red reluctantly stopped his progress backing halfway out the door. "Sit."

Red pulled over Ressler's chair, already regretting coming here. Liz gave him a look that suggested if he didn't cooperate he would be in a world of hurt. "You haven't given one witness report yet."

"Well you see Lizzie, I've been busy running a criminal enterprise and trying to make up for the incompetency of this team so I really don't have time for…."

"Red!" Once she had deemed she had his attention Liz plopped a giant file down in front of him. "First case- Frederick Barnes."

Red stared at the pile of papers on the desk, looking decidedly unimpressed. "I could do this…Or I could tell you about one of my scars."

He could almost see the wheels turning in Liz's head. She let out an annoyed growl. "Fine, but it better be a good one or I'm making you do the case files anyway."

With a small, slightly smug laugh, Red pulled back the sleeve of his right arm. Liz gasped and he followed her gaze, regarding the light, jagged scar running down his vein. He had been meaning to show her another scar on his arm, he had forgotten about this one.

Liz looked slightly panicked and Red felt he had to explain. "I assure you Lizzie, I was never suicidal." This only seemed to increase her anxiety. Red sighed.

"The year was 2000. I was in a small village in South Africa, meeting with the leader who controlled a smuggling trade route through the region. I had gotten the attention of some… important individuals in the area a few weeks earlier. The trade leader had decided I was too much trouble to handle."

"One night while I was sleeping in the hut of a villager he crept into my room. He wanted to make it seem like a suicide attempt. He failed." Red shrugged nonchalantly. Liz did not seem to echo this feeling.

"How many assassinations attempts have you had?"

"Does that include ones I planned for political purposes?"

Liz shook her head. "Another time you nearly died does not count as a good story! Now get back to work."

Red looked at the file as if he had never seen such a thing before. "I'm sorry Lizzie, but I really must go. Who knows, maybe someone will get murdered and I'll have a case for you!"

Red bolted out with the yells of a very pissed off agent following him. He had narrowly escaped that one.