A/N: Sorry about the LONG delay. One of the authors has been traveling the US/Canada looking for new job and took the only laptop with them. More soonish.
It felt almost like old times, Liz sitting on a couch in an expensive hotel suite waiting for Reddington to appear from one of the rooms. But it was not like old times, this time Liz sat on the couch having seen only a small portion of the videos that Aram was able to obtain. While Dembe had been meeting with Reddington, Harold, and the Director of Clandestine Services Mr. Hopewell, Liz had convinced Aram to let her see. It had not taken much to convince her friend that she needed to know what Red had gone through so she could know how to help him. Purely professional reasons, she was a trained to deal with trauma like what Red may have gone through.
She only lasted ten minutes into the video before she felt tears running down her face. The video started off with Red strapped down to a wooden bench with a huge bucket under the bench where his head rested. When the door open, she heard him ask in an almost bored voice, "Haven't you tried of trying to drown me yet?"
She heard Douglass chuckle before she saw him in the frame of the camera.
"You know the rules, no talking unless you are answering my questions."
"Must be the lack of oxygen that keeps making me forget." Red quipped back.
Douglass response was just a dry laugh and more men entered the room. Two of them grabbed Red's shoulders and ensured the strap holding him down was secure, while the third checked on his torso and leg straps, at least that what it looked like in the video. Only Douglass and one of the other guards stayed in the room.
It started off slowly. A towel was shoved into Red's mouth, forced inside after a few punches to the face resulted in Red opening his mouth to spit blood. Once the towel was inside, Douglass held it in place glaring down at Red. The other man quickly started pour water, little amounts at first and then more and more with each pour. Eventually, both Douglass and the man were taking turns pouring water over Red's head. With both men dumping water over him, Red never got a break from the water.
It was when she saw Red's entire body struggling against the restraints. He made no sound, but his body was fighting the restraints so violently that the bench actually shook. Both men just laughed and told jokes to each other while they continued to pour water over Red. They stopped after what seemed like forever, but when she looked at the video time she realized it had been only five minutes. Removing the rag, Douglass asked Red questions about his business, and Red never answered them. He just glared up at Douglass. Then it all started over again. She stopped the video when all the struggle went out of Red who was clearly unconscious, and yet Douglass and his man kept pouring water over him.
With the knowledge that this was only a small part of what Red had endured, Lizzie was not sure how she was going to face him. She did not get a chance to answer her own question because Red emerged from the room he had disappeared into with tailor and Douglass. The tailor had been told Douglass was one of Red's new henchmen. It was important that the criminal world believes that Raymond Reddington was back in town after a long vacation. The first step in the process was having him look the part. The suits Dembe had brought were all way too big on Red. The tailor had been contacted to take in three of the suits and to do the rest and have them delivered to Dembe.
Red looked the part again as if he easily slipped back into character. A new fedora in one hand, his crisp black suit was a stark contrast to his pale skin. Lizzie realized something would have to be done about how pale Red was. A man who had slipped into retirement would not be as pale as Red was, only someone who had not seen daylight for a very long time would resemble Red's current coloring.
Red's hesitance was still there, Liz noticed, how he glanced over at Douglass a few times while he politely dismissed his tailor.
"You look better," Liz said standing up and walking over to the bar to pour both of them drinks. She noticed a slight twitch in Red's hand again. "Have a drink." She handed him one glaring at Douglass daring him to say something. Before they left the post office, Hopewell had dressed down Douglass who had fought tooth and nail for Red to remain confined to the post office.
"Have you made contact yet with your person?" Douglass asked moving towards Red who was taking a sip of the bourbon Lizzie had just poured him.
"Dembe has." Red answered, "He should be calling back anytime now."
"Where is Dembe?" Douglass asked wondering if they were planning on breaking Red out of custody because now would be a great opportunity thanks to Hopewell's insistence that Red should be allowed to leave the post office as part of his cover.
"Likely contacting my other associates to ensure they know I'm back." Red said seeing anger flash over Douglass' face, quick to dispel any concern, "It is necessary. Word needs to get out that I am coming out of retirement. It is the only way Veor will deal with me. If he thinks I have something to give him. If I'm retired, there is nothing to offer. I would not contact him."
Douglass seemed to be placated, walking away to sit by the door. Red sat in the chair next to the couch, choosing not to sit by Lizzie. Resting his head back against the back of the chair, he tired to ignore the pain he felt in his lower back. Douglass kidney punches did damage, Red had noticed blood in his urine before. Based on the dull pain, he assumed his kidneys were just bruised and would heal with time. It was not the first time the Constant had bruised his kidney's. If it got worse, he would say something to someone, but for now, he had a job to do. Innocent lives were at risk if he could not convince Shen to help him find Veor. Though he fully expected Veor was not the culprit, it did not seem like Veor's MO. These attacks across the globe did not aid in the rise of the USSR again. That is all Veor wanted.
"Are you hungry?" Liz asked looking at Red with her sad eyes.
Had it been any other time, he would have tried to make her feel better, to lessen her pain. But he was too exhausted to do that, and he was not sure he wanted to lessen her pain. He fully accepted it was his fault that he was captured and tortured. However, she had betrayed him, faking her death just to get away from him. He had accepted his fate, accepted the torture only because it was penance for her death. But she was alive the entire time living out her life. The monster inside of him had been unleashed on the world because he thought she was dead. He had killed many of a people, and it was all for nothing. He became what she always saw in him for nothing. He suffered for nothing. That bitterness was hidden deep inside, as he had learned to do throughout his life, but when he saw her sad eyes looking at him, it threatened to surface.
"No." The pain in his lower back and the fact he was not used to eating much had left him without much of an appetite.
Before she could try to convince him he needed to eat, her cell phone rang. Excusing herself she answered her phone to find Samar on the other line.
"Agnes and I are outside. I thought you might want to see her for a bit." Samar said not stating the fact that he was sure Reddington would like to see how the little girl had grown.
Liz gave him the suite number and smiling. It was a dirty trick but she knew Agnes would break the ice between her and Red.
"Who was that?" Douglass asked from the door.
"Agent Navabi is on her way up with my daughter," Liz responded noting a quick emotion flash across Red's face, but she could not place it because it came and went so fast.
"You would let your daughter around him." Douglass spat out full of venom.
"Yes," Liz answered without hesitation, but remembering a time that she had done everything in her power, betraying her friends by faking her death to ensure her daughter never had anything to do with Raymond Reddington. How the times have changed, she thought looking at Red.
Nervous, Liz realized Red was nervous, it was in how he kept shifting in his seat and then looking at Douglass. Right now she would give almost anything to hear him launch into one of his stories that only annoyed her before.
When Agnes walked into the room she rushed right over to her mother. Liz lifted the toddler off the ground hugging her and kissing the top of her head. "How as your time with Auntie Charlene?"
"Fun mommy." Agnes excitement was infectious as she recounted everything she had done that day with Charlene. It was a full minute before the toddler even fnoticed there were people she did not know in the room. It was then that her shyness kicked in. She hid her face in her mommies shoulder.
"Agnes I want you to meet a friend of mommies." Elizabeth said walking towards Red. "This is…" She paused for a second trying to think of what to call him, "Red."
Agnes giggled, even with her face buried in her mother's shoulder. She whispered , "Funny name."
"That's because it's not his real name. It's a nickname. Like when I call you peanut." Liz said looking at Red in apology.
Agnes finally lifted her head and turned to look at Red. Her little child eyes took him in. "You dressed fancy."
"I am." Red answered smoothing his suit out as he stood up. "It is nice to meet you Agnes."
Agnes giggled into her mother's shoulder. It was a nervous giggle. She was a friendly child, but just unsure of strangers.
"How old are you Agnes?" Red asked trying to engage the little girl.
Agnes lifted her head again and answered by holding up her index and middle finger.
"How many is that again?" Red asked smiling at the little girl.
"I'm two." Agnes giggled at the old man not knowing how to count.
"You are." Red said.
"How old are you?" Agnes asked because it was what everyone asked her when they first meant her.
"Agnes." Liz chastised her trying not to laugh.
"I'm an old man." Red said not giving his age simply because he was not 100% confident at that moment. He still did not have a great sense of time. Dembe and the others had told him the date a few times, but it was something that just slipped his mind.
"Why you dressed so fancy?"
"I wanted to look nice when I meant you." Red answered.
Agnes struggled to get out of her mother's grasp, so Liz set her down on the ground.
Agnes walked up to Red, her previous shyness disappearing. "Only bad guys wear those." Agnes pointed out the fedora resting on the arm of the chair. "Are you a bad guy?"
Liz and Samar's combined glare kept Douglass from speaking.
"That's debatable. But I would never hurt you or your mommy, and I would never let anyone you or your mommy."
"What your favorite color?"
"Hmm." Red seemed to be deep in thought, "I think it is blue."
"My favorite color is yellow."
"Like the sun."
"No like a smile face."
Red chuckled, a real chuckle, he sat back down in his chair and Agnes walked over to him.
"You look tired." Agnes said, "Did you refuse to take a nap today?"
Red laughed along with most people in the room (except Douglass). "No. I did not refuse a nap today."
"I hate taking naps. Mommy says when I'm five I can stop." While she was speaking the sound of her stomach growling filled the room.
"Are you hungry?" Red asked her.
"Yes. I want a hamburger."
Red looked at Lizzie and asked, "Do you mind if we order her a hamburger. They have the very best here."
"Only if you will eat something too." Lizzie said.
"Hamburgers for everyone then." Red said going to grab the phone but stopping before he pulled it from the cradle as Douglass stood up and was walking towards him. Trying to look unfazed Red spoke, "Lizzie do you mind ordering the food for us all."
"Sure." Liz said stepping between Douglass and Red and her daughter.
"I'll just go have a seat." Red said moving back to the chair to placate Douglass.
Douglass glared at him before continuing to move towards one of the empty rooms to make a call to Hopewell. This was getting out of hand, Reddington deserved to be in chains waiting in a cell, not sitting in a comfortable suite talking to some innocent child.
"Are you ok?" Agnes asked noticing how her new friend grunted as he sat down.
"Just old back." Red answered with a smile.
"Read me a story." Agnes asked looking to Samar who had her superhero backpack her mommy bought her after she threw a fit at the store. She did not want the Barbie backpack. Barbie's were not as cool as Black Widow!
"I can try." Red said not sure if his eyes would hold up without his reading glasses. Samar handed Agnes her children's kindle and she rushed over to Red. With the help of Red lifting her, causing his lower back to scream in agony he ignored, she was able to sit comfortably on Red's lap.
"You are going to have to show me how to work this thing." Red said looking at it like it was an alien artifact.
"Red is bad with gadgets like Uncle Ressler." Samar said taking a seat on the couch smiling at Red.
"Ok." Agnes said sighing as if she were annoyed. She walked him through the entire process of unlocking the kindle, choosing a story, and how to turn the pages.
"Agnes why don't you make the font larger for Red. He is old after all, and his eyes aren't all that great." Samar added smiling at Red who just smiled back at her.
When Liz returned to the room from having ordered room service and then speaking with Douglass and Hopewell, she took in the scene before her. Agnes was sitting on Red's lap, her head resting on his chest while he read to her in his intoxicating voice. Her little girls were so taken with his reading that she did not even look up when Liz walked back into the room. Lizzie took a seat next to Samar and like her daughter, Red had her undivided attention while he read the children's book.
By the time he finished, the food arrived and they all ate. Agnes did most of the talking asking Red questions and telling him about herself. Red patiently answered every question asked of him until Agnes asked him where he had been the last two years? Was he away working like her daddy?
Red looked at Lizzie not sure how to answer the toddler's question. Instead of answering he asked her what her daddy did, knowing that it was a bad subject given the absences of Tom Keen, but it was better than explaining what prison was to a toddler.
It seemed to have done the trick because Agnes moved on seeming to have forgotten what she asked.
Dembe came into the suite phone in hand having dropped the tailor off on his way back Shen returned the call with information.
"Uncle DB" Agnes called out taking a drink of her milkshake mommy ordered her. It was Liz's attempt to try to put weight back on Red.
"Hello princess." Dembe said smiling at her.
"Uncle DB know Red?"
"I know Red." Dembe said, "He is a friend of mine."
"Oh." Agnes said feeling like Dembe took the wind out of her sails. "He read to me."
"He did." Dembe said smiling at her, "You better eat your dinner princess before your mom gets upset."
Agnes smiled at him and took another drink of her shake.
"Agnes you need to eat some of your hamburger. I don't want you filling up on a milkshake."
"I am mommy."
"We received a call." Dembe said looking at Red who looked almost like his old self, and anyone who had not spent a significant amount of time around him would not see the differences. The way Raymond held himself, unsure and almost uncomfortable in his own skin, peaked out occasionally in the way he moved and acted. There were other signs too, Ray's eyes always searched out to find Douglass, to see where the man was located in the room relative to him. There was also the fact that anytime Douglass was near, Ray appeared to try to shield Agnes and anyone else from Douglass.
"When?"
"Later this evening." Dembe said, "I can update Director Hopewell." Dembe did not leave Red a chance to disagree, as Dembe believed Red should spend as much time as possible with Elizabeth and Agnes.
Red went back to watching Agnes drink her milkshake and take a bite from her hamburger. Red had barely touched his own food. It did not get past his notice the way Lizzie kept looking over at his plate. He hoped she had the sense not to ask why he was not eating in front of Agnes. The fact that he had consumed only bland boring food, in small amounts, over the past few years, something like a hamburger and milkshake was too much for him. He already felt nauseous from pain and anxiety, adding too much food on top of that would have him in the bathroom.
"Red." Agnes called his name drawing him away from his own thoughts.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Will you read another story?" Agnes asked.
"Not tonight." Liz intervened, "You need to go home and get ready for bed after dinner."
Agnes wanted to protest but her mother's look was enough to stop her.
"Maybe another time." Red said to the little girl feeling like he was lying to her because he was not sure there would be another time.
"Mommy you home tonight?" Agnes asked.
"Yes. Later tonight. For now, Auntie Charlene will stay with you."
"You promise?"
"Yes peanut." Liz responded hoping she would keep this promise. "Let's get your toys picked up, Auntie Charlene and Uncle Baz will be here soon to take you home."
"Ok." Agnes responded moving to help her mother pick up her toys.
Red was distracted from watching the mother-daughter duo clean up when Dembe walked back into the room with Douglass.
"Director Hopewell wants to meet before we leave." Douglass said glaring at Reddington.
"When?" Elizabeth asked from her spot on the floor with her daughter.
"Now. He's on his way over." Douglass answered, "She needs to be gone by time he gets here."
"She will be." Elizabeth said glaring back at Douglass.
Red stepped between the two to take the heat off Lizzie, he was worried what Douglass might do to her, given the chance.
"When do we leave?" Red asked Douglass his voice not as strong as he had hoped. He found some strength to fight against the power Douglass had over him, in his suit of armor, but it was not enough to overcome years of torture at this man's hands.
"A few hours from now." Douglass responded turning his glare on Reddington, who noticeably wilted some at the glare.
Thanks for reading let us know you're still out there please! Any feedback, comments, complaints are welcome!