Hey there guys!

A little something before we go to the more interesting chapters, but hey...we need something inbetween...Can't just skip too many years. I personally am not so thrilled about the chapter but well...just a filler, right?;)

Have fun anyway!

Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine (For details, see Prologue)

Chapter 6

Her heart was pounding and the pressure in her ears was more than she thought she could bare. The sweat poured down her body in streams and she could have sworn thousands of little ants were crawling up and down her body. The labored breathing beside her, told her that her colleague was hot on her heels and would pass her in a matter of seconds.

I really should have gone to the gym more often when I was younger, Liz berated herself and tried to get some more speed out of her tired body. She would not let this sleazy dumbass win this race. Being able to see the finish point now, her strength seemed to return and with a last spur of speed, Liz darted through the finish at least two seconds earlier than the man behind her.

"Well done, Scott. Beginners luck I suppose, but every blind chicken finds a corn from time to time…as they say, right?"

"Shut up, Ralphie. I won fair and square and it certainly wasn't the last time." Out of breath, Liz bent over, bracing her hands against her knees.

"Right…" the man scoffed and walked away. "Seeing how you are panting as if you've been smoking for decades, I doubt that you'll manage."

Liz narrowed her eyes at his back, but refrained from further comment, simply because right now she didn't have enough breath left in her lungs to do so without keeling over.

"Don't listen to him, Liz. He is just jealous."

Liz whirled around and smiled, when she saw the smiling face of Ken Shepherd. Although he was ten years older than Liz, they had hung out together the first day she arrived in Quantico. With only sporadic contact to her father, Liz would have felt lonely but with Ken there everything seemed brighter and sunnier. Especially right before Christmas, the need to have someone around who actually liked her was overwhelming, although she would have never believed herself to be in need of a friendly face at this time of year. Not having a lot of money didn't only mean not to be able to take extra classes, but also no visiting home-even at Christmas.

"I know, but thanks anyway." She smiled and patted the man on the arm. "I think I'm gonna grab something to eat and go to the library. I have some catching up to do. The damn flue has thrown me back a mile…" while mentioning the flue she had battled for the last two weeks, she felt her throat tickle with a cough but tried to ignore it.

"I'll join ya, if you want to." Ken offered, following her down the path. Liz smiled warmly at him but shook her head.

"I know you have a date with this blond from the bar, go prepare for that instead of babysitting me."

"It's not…I wouldn't…"

"Ken, I know you."

"Alright." He huffed at her. "But only because you are such a sweetheart. And I wouldn't call it babysitting. It's more like a…bodyguard thing."

"Right. Because I need protection."

Ken didn't answer, making Liz frown at him.

"What?" she asked. "Seriously now, I don't need protection. I am an FBI trainee. Why would I need…."

"You are not a field agent."

Liz rolled her eyes. The old argument she not only had to have with Ken from time to time but also with her father.

"I may not be but I do know the basic things about field operation, which includes hand to hand combat and operating a gun. But you DO know that, so I don't see why I would have to explain this to you."

"You don't have to, but I am concerned about you. You are not shy of making enemies."

"By being honest? C'mon, is it my fault they are such jerks."

"Jerks or not, they ARE training for field agents and they CAN make your life a living hell."

"Oh please…."

Before Liz could make another step, Ken's hand on her arm held her back and turned her around to face him.

"I am just looking out for you. You are like a little sister to me and I wouldn't want you to get hurt just because you are…well…" he chuckled at her. "…ambitious."

Liz inhaled the clear air deeply and finally a grin appeared on her face.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now let me at least escort you to the library. Just so that I feel better, ok?"

Liz laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

"Alright, alright. Let's go then."

Only half an hour later, Ken was waving Liz into the building and smiling at her. She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled anyway and waved back. Watching her walk deeper into the library, Ken finally stepped away from the door, but instead of just turning around and walking back to his room, he stepped to the side, leaned against the brick wall and fished in his jacket pocket for his phone. Punching in a number he obviously had memorized, Ken waited impatiently with the phone against his ear. When a deep voice rang through it, Ken breathed a sigh of relief.

"Raymond, I call to inform you about the status."

"Very well." Red's voice seemed equally impatient and Ken tried to hurry up with his explanations.

"The last exams went well. I have been studying and training with her and she passed with an A' in every single test. She was sick for the last few weeks though, so we will have to work a bit harder the next few weeks."

"Good. I didn't expect anything less. Did you give her the gift already?"

"No, I was planning to give it to her in the morning."

"What about the gentlemen giving her grief."

Ken gulped.

"Still present. And still bugging her."

"Bugging? Would you mind elaborating?"

"She is a tough girl, Raymond. The men around here see her as a rival and not a woman."

"Wasn't her being a woman the problem? At least that was your last statement."

Sweat started to appear on Ken's face and the urge to once again swallow was almost overwhelming.

"I was wrong."

The silence was nerve wrecking, but Ken held on to the last shred of nerve he had left, after only a minute of conversation with Raymond Reddington.

"At least you admit that you made a mistake. And I do understand how that could have happened. I hear Lizzie is fond of you, so I won't fire you. You don't have to be afraid of that. So do me a favor and breathe."

Ken nodded, forgetting that the man couldn't see him. Inhaling deeply, he finally started to speak again.

"I won't let her out of my sight."

"I hope you are watching her back only and nothing else."

Ken's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and he had to clear his throat before answering.

"Of course I am watching only her back." Nothing else came into his mind that he could say to convince Raymond of the truthfulness of his words.

"But I would check out a man called Tom Keen." Ken added. "She has been meeting him a few times already and judging by the blush on her cheeks when she talks about him, it might be something more serious."

"Thank you for the tip. Let me know if some….."

"Ken?"

Ken almost dropped the phone when Liz' voice appeared right beside him.

"What are you still doing here?" Her eyes were narrowed and her arms folded in front of her chest.

"Uhm…I just…" he gestured to his phone, still trying to think of a good reason.

"You canceled your date? Again?" as if this was an outrageous thing to do, Liz looked at him with accusing eyes and an open mouth. "Going at this rate you won't find a girl until you are gray and in need of a heating blanket."

"I actually…"

"No, no…no excuses." The determination on Liz face was evident and Ken knew there was nothing he could do now to stop her from launching into a tirade.

"I hope you didn't reach her yet. If you did, you will call her this instant and apologies for your temporal insanity! You will go on this date. I really can't understand why a man like you would be so stupid and…"

While listening to Liz' talking, Ken slowly moved his thumb over the phone and slowly pressed a button, disconnecting the call.

The next morning…

"How was your date?" Liz' bright smiling face stuck itself into Ken's room, making him smile.

"Not that well. She was a bit too…honest. I don't want to talk about it though."

Liz only nodded and entered the room fully when ken gestured her to follow him.

"I've got something for you."

"For me? But we agreed that we wouldn't buy each other anything for Christmas. You know I don't like…"

"I know." Ken interrupted her, stretching a hand out that was holding an envelope. When she slowly took it out of his hands, he continued.

"But I heard you last time you were talking to your dad."

Liz' eyes grew huge and a blush formed on her cheeks.

"But you didn't hear me after…"

"I did. You miss him, Liz. You cried for more than an hour. You may not like Christmas, but I know that you care for your dad and with leaving him alone at home and feeling a bit left our here…well…"

Liz opened the envelope and squealed uncharacteristically. The two way plane ticket made its way onto the floor, when Liz jumped at Ken and hugged him to herself.

"Thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome." He whispered and his own thanking words were send to Red, for making the girl in his arms that happy.

Suddenly Liz let go of him and her smile vanished.

"But I can't just leave…"

"Everything is taken care of, Liz. You only have to get yourself into that plane and be happy."

The smile bloomed again and her eyes started to glisten.

"I will, Ken. I am sure I will be happy!"

tbc...

I know its not as good as the others but you can tell me anyway what ya think of it;)