I know it's been once again just too long but guys... this week is HALLOWEEN! I am such a fan and I am like cooking and baking and planing and not mentioning the decorating!;) so I am sorry for the delay but I will have to wait another whole year for this wonderful time of year and I am soooo enjoying it:)

But whatever...here comes a slightly longer chapter and I hope you'll enjoy the fluff;)

Disclaimer: Blacklist is not mine(for details, see prologue)

Chapter 10

Red was leaning against the leather seat and breathed in the sweet smell of Lizzie's perfume. She had fallen asleep only minutes after finding a comfortable position against his body and since then, neither Liz nor Red had let go of the other. Her tight hold on him was making Red feel overjoyed about their proximity and her trust in him but also sick, thinking about the reason for it. Liz stirred and pressed her face further into his chest and he smiled. A hand wandered to her head and started a soothing caress in her hair.

"This was close," Dembe's voice informed him matter of factly.

"You can say that."

"Is she alright?"

"As alright as can be expected. " Red huffed and bit down on his tongue to hold back a sharp remark. This situation hadn't been Dembe's fault. A cleansing breath later he added. "You saved us both, Dembe."

When Dembe didn't answer, Red wondered if his friend had something on his mind, but before he could ask, Dembe already answered.

"I know you must be angry that I took the chance of revenge from you, my friend." Both man were silent for a moment. Red cleared his throat softly, before finally speaking.

"You know me too well, Dembe. But for once the feeling of relief is overweighing the sick feeling of revenge."

Dembe couldn't help himself but smile. It has been a long time ago that words like this left his friends mouth. As concerned as Dembe had been in the beginning and as opposed he had been to the idea of Red stepping into Liz' life, now he had to accept the truth and admit that this whole plan of Red's wasn't turning out as bad as he had predicted. His newest plan to use himself and Liz as bait has been a totally different thing. Dembe didn't like to see either of them in pain and now they were both hurting.

Dembe drifted from thought to thought, while bright lights from passing cars made him squint from time to time.

When he started to recognize the streets and knew that they were almost at Red's second safe house, a light rain started to fall and hit the windshield with more and more force. Just the right weather for our situation, he thought and sighed.

The car stilled and the only thing loud enough to hear were the raindrops.

"Please prepare the guestroom for Liz, Dembe. We will follow you shorty."

Dembe nodded, left the car and disappeared in the dark building.

Red slowly twisted his head to the side and watched Liz' chest rise and fall with every breath, thankful for the opportunity to see her still alive. His fingers hadn't stopped caressing her hair, but now he withdrew and shifted her a bit in his arms to look into her face.

"Sweetheart." His soft calling didn't show any effect and he smirked. "Lizzie, you have to wake up now, my old bones are not steady enough to carry you again."

She stirred and a slurred "y'not old." drifted into his ears, making him smile contently.

"Whatever the cause, darling, I can't carry you." His stern voice was betrayed by a soft look in his eyes and that was the first thing Liz saw, when she pried her eyes open.

"Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"I didn't mind one bit." Red smiled, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before opening the door. Walking around the car, he made it to Liz' just when she opened the door and attempted to get out. Immediately Red reached for her arm and steadied her as if he was afraid that she would simply fall to the ground without help. And maybe she would have, but his presence gave her strength and Liz sent him a grateful look. Slowly she looked around and a frown appeared on her face.

"Where are we?"

"Don't worry. It's one of my safe houses."

"I thought…"

"You know that I have more than one, Lizzie."

Liz nodded and simply followed him, while he led her to the entrance.

The moment the heavy door closed behind them, Liz flinched and suddenly a thought crossed her mind.

"Ressler. I have to call him. He needs to know what happened…Cooper will…"

With one hand she rummaged chaotically through her bag and only stopped rambling and searching when Red's hand closed around hers and pulled it out.

"It can wait. You need rest. We need some rest."

The calm, deep voice had an unbelievable effect on her tussled mind. Almost like a hypnosis but not quiet. She did have her own free will still, but she didn't want to disobey. The prospect of a bed, warm sheets and most importantly calmness was luring her in. She just wanted to close her eyes and forget what had happened for a while. And if someone could help her forget, it would be Red.

"They will search for us." She argued without any passion behind her words and looking at the floor.

"They won't"

Her head snapped up and she looked at him questioningly.

"You told Ressler to wait, remember?"

"Oh." With the realization came the exhaustion back. "I'd like to sleep now, Red."

"And you will. Follow me."

Red led the way to a medium sized bedroom and watched Liz climb into the king sized bed. The moment her head hit the soft material of the pillow, she was asleep and Red softly smiled. He walked over to her and gently pulled the shoes from her feet, placing them neatly next to the bed and covered her with the fluffy cover. A few seconds ticked by in which Red couldn't tear his eyes from Liz' face. When he saw the frown appear, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. His lips lingered for a moment too long and he drew back to see if he hadn't woken her up. But she slept on. Frown gone and now resting peacefully, forgetting that there was evil out there that could hurt her. At least for the moment.

Three hours later…

Red woke up with a start when a knocking on his door boomed through his own bedroom.

"Come in." he called out and sat up to greet his visitor. He had hoped to see Liz, coming to him after having a nightmare, but he hadn't expected Dembe, who was now standing in front of the bed.

"What happened? Have you taken care of the pets?"

"Yes, Raymond. But there is a problem."

"Which is?"

Dembe looked unsure of what or how to say what was on his mind.

"Come on, Dembe. I had an offsetting day and would like to get some sleep if you don't mind."

"It's Liz:" Dembe finally said.

"What about her?"

Now Red's interest was awoken and he was already out of bed and at his friend's side.

"She has locked herself in the bathroom."

"What?"

The confused look and the narrowed eyes gave Red a comical look, but Dembe didn't feel like laughing. "I came back from her flat about an hour ago and when I was preparing for bed, I heard strange noises from her bathroom. I decided to check on her and discovered that the light in the bathroom was on."

"So?"

"I waited for another ten minutes but nothing happened,"

Seeing Red's serious and penetrating look, Dembe hurried to continue.

"I didn't want to wake you in case it was nothing important. I knocked and she didn't answer. I tried to open the door but it was locked."

"For the love of….why haven't you picked the lock, Dembe?" Red's arms threw themselves upwards in frustration and he walked out of the door with Dembe hot on his heals.

"I think I heard crying." Dembe added as an explanation, which made Red stop in his tracks.

"Are you certain?"

"As I can be."

Red nodded, scratched the side of his head in deep thoughts and cleared his throat.

"I will go to her. Give us half an hour and then bring the tea I am always drinking before sleeping."

Dembe acknowledged his orders with a short nod and disappeared in direction of the kitchen.

Red didn't move immediately, but inhaled deeply and held his breath for a moment. Gathering his bearings and strength, he finally rubbed his hands against each other and went into Liz' room.

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In contrast to Red, Liz hadn't woken up quickly. Despite of the nightmares plaguing her from the second she had closed her eyes, she had drifted into wakefulness slowly, still not sure if she was dreaming or back in reality, still scared that she was being attacked. She realized that she was whimpering and that sound was what had woken her up completely in the end. Her body was trembling and her heart was pounding in her chest. The breeze from the open window was hitting her sweaty skin and making her shiver. First, she couldn't move, her body not willing to listen to her pleading to get out of bed, but then finally her hand started to rise and her fingertips touched her cheek, where she felt gathered moisture.

So weak…crossed her mind but she shook her head to get rid of that thought. Slowly she slid back the cover and lowered her feet to the ground. Wanting to reach for her shoes, Liz bent down and winced when a sharp pain went through her ribs and she let the shoe she had managed to grasp fall out of her hand. With careful movements, she stood up and walked like on wet noodles into the bathroom.

The door shut behind her a bit louder than she had anticipated but she didn't care. With shaky hands, Liz got rid of her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. A bruise of the size of a honey melon adored her skin over her right ribs and she couldn't hold back her tears then. It wasn't that Rondell had tried to violate her. It may have been a horrible experience, but agreeing to stay on the task force, she had been aware of the dangers lurking out there. No, it wasn't that. It was the fact that every single man in her life, with only the exception of Sam, had been lying and using her. Most of them in a mental way but it was enough for Liz to feel desperate to escape into darkness. Between sobs, Liz laughed. Escape into darkness….never would she consider killing herself but there were other ways to simply live in a secluded and dark world. Her eyes grew big when she realized that she had started on this path already. Who was she able to trust? The only one she trusted was Red. The supposedly darkest man, she could find. Ressler and Aram had her trust in some ways, but she never would trust them with her heart.

Liz sobbed through her jumbled thoughts. Some made sense some didn't. It was just too much. Everything had built inside of her and now it broke out with a force she didn't know she was capable of.

Vaguely she became aware of a presence next to her and to her astonishmentm she wasn't the least bit startled. She recognized Red even in her state of distress and although she didn't rise her head, her heart was screaming for him to comfort her. When she felt the first contact, she felt warmth flood her, her body leaning towards it.

"I'm here, Lizzie. You're not alone."

The words were whispered in her hair and gave her a spark of hope. That maybe she really wasn't as alone as she felt.

It wasn't only her, though. No matter how many people Red had around him, there was always something missing in him and looking at Liz, touching her, made this void fill to the brim with happiness. Every single contact he made with her skin, even if it was for a tiny second, was electrocuting his heart and bringing it back to life. Every single time he was allowed and lucky enough to stand close to her and breath in the sweet scent of her shampoo, made him dizzy. And every single of her rare smiles made his stomach come alive with a thousand butterflies. He could admit to himself now, after years of ignoring it, that he had fallen in love with Elizabeth Keen. It had happened slowly and only after he had held her in his arms and comforted her, that he could put a finger on this by now foreign feeling.

He was aware as much as she was that a more intimate relationship would bring complications with it, but how much can a human being deny him or herself? How much is healthy and what is potentially the beginning of the end?

Red didn't know.

And even worse was, that Red was sure that Liz didn't know either.

tbc...

So, what do ya think= Enogh fluff? more fluff? Let me know:)