Summary/Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: I am loving the feedback off of the last chapter I can only hope that this one lives up just as well. This is mainly focused from Red's point of view and where all his trips have been taking him too. Please enjoy.
Post Office: Washington D.C (next Day)
"Has Reddington offered any new leads recently?" Meera asked as she looked over a file that was laid out before her.
"No, and quite frankly I'm not surprised. These little scavenger hunts for 3rd tier Blacklisters are starting to get on my nerves. I mean I know he said he would only deal with Scott, but since her disappearance his focus has been on finding her and not the list."
"Well, can you blame him; after all he was willing to give up his life for her. There has to be something he isn't telling us."
"It's Reddington, there's always something he isn't telling us." Just then he could hear the sound of expensive loafers walking across the floor and he knew that Red had arrived. "Speak of the devil."
"Agent Ressler, where are we in the search for Agent Scott?"
"No leads so far, every road we go down ends up being a dead end. We have however captured your latest name on the list. Any chance we can go after someone that matters?"
"Donald, Donald, Donald, you still haven't learned that I deal only with Agent Scott and I have been very generous in giving you a name here and there while you actively search for her and who-ever took her. You should be grateful I still bother coming here at all, considering that in the past year and a half your search for Ms. Scott has turned up nothing."
"Have you accepted that whomever took her may have killed her."
Red got up close to Ressler and leaned in, with a voice barely above a whisper he answered the question.
"I will never accept that until I see her lying dead before me. Until then she is still very much alive." He stepped back to look over the clear board across the room to see what information they had. "Also Donald, I know that if anyone were to harm her they would have me to deal with, and as you have seen it is better to have me as a friend than an enemy."
These little trips to D.C. where fun if nothing else. Teasing Ressler and Cooper about the location of Lizzie for over the past year has been fun, considering the whole time he had always known where she was. When Lizzie had said "take me with you" Red was unsure of how he was going to pull off such a long disappearance when they first left, but then the idea struck him that if we were to find out that Lizzie had been taken and that she was missing he would want her found and so once or twice a month he would head into the Post Office and throw a fuss, hand them a new name of someone who they could bring in, someone who was minor on his list and then he would go back to Lizzie and their isolation from the world. It really was perfect and then when he knew it was safe for her to return or if they had to return then it would look like it was Red to the rescue and Lizzie would be 100% on board when that time came. After the last few days, however Red had noticed that Lizzie had been different; nothing bad just that something had been off about her and he could tell that there was something she wasn't telling him. He knew that she trusted Dembe with whatever was on her mind and it hurt that she went to him instead, but figured that was her way of trying to protect him from whatever was going on. Turning back towards the group he decided he might as well give them something productive to do until Lizzie was "found".
"Well Donald, since you are so keen to arrest another criminal I will give you another name, but only on the condition that the search for Agent Scott keeps going until she is found."
"That's up to Director Cooper."
"Ah yes Harold, where is he?"
"In his office."
"Thank you Agent Malik, when I return I will give you the details but until then, you can have a name. Vincent Richards."
"Who's that?"
"That is your next name. Google it."
Island:
Lizzie sat looking at the box, it was right before bed, but she couldn't sleep not with Red gone and everything that was on her mind. She knew it would be easier if she just opened it and got the answer that she wanted, but part of her was afraid to. Deciding to just deal with it, she opened the box and pulled out one of the two tests that were nestled inside. Dembe was smart to get a package that had two just in case the first one was negative. It was hard to imagine that after all this time that perhaps she was pregnant, she and Red had been careful, but careful wasn't enough it now seemed. Her phone ringing broke her from her trance and brought her back down to reality.
"Hi."
"Hello Sweetheart, miss me?"
"Yes, hard to believe you've been gone a little over a day. Where are you?"
"You know I can't tell you."
"A girl can try."
"Yes that she can. Are you staying busy?"
"I've been reading and laid out on the beach, it's quiet without you here to keep me occupied."
"A few more days and then I will return."
"I know." Liz looked to her side and focused on the tests that sat there next to her. She debated on telling Red her concern, but realized it was better to wait until she answers. "I just want you home."
The use of the word home surprised Red, he wasn't used to hearing Lizzie refer to anything as home in the past year and a half, but now she had. Did she really see his private little island as their home? It was hard to imagine that after all this time she was accepting of having a home with him and that they could be together. Part of him knew that something was bothering her, but knew she would share her concerns in time.
"Red, you still there?"
"Of course, I just was distracted. I can't wait to be home either. Promise me you'll stay busy while I'm gone."
"I promise."
"Good, I have to run, another meeting. I'll call you later."
"Of course, be careful."
"Always, I love you."
Before Lizzie could respond he had disconnected the call, it was the first time he had ever told her that he loved her and not being able to tell him in return hurt. Looking back to the box in her hand she decided that she would wait another day at least, first she had to soak in the words that Red had told her, then she would deal with everything else. Laying back on the bed Lizzie closed her eyes and listened to the water hit the beach in the distance and realized that for the first time in a really long time she felt like she was right where she belonged.
A/N: I know I keep teasing you. I promise I won't keep you hanging for too long.
