AN: Thank you for your feedback. I'm glad you guys like my babyfic. There's more to come and of course angst too, so stay tuned.

Disclaimer: check earlier chapters

Chapter 13

After a refreshing shower - during which Liz had repeatedly swatted Red's hands away, telling him to keep them to himself because she was too exhausted, but ended up letting him wash her hair and body though- the couple made their way to the park.

They were supposed to meet Ressler and their little son for a picnic. When they arrived, they were pleasantly surprised to find Aram there as well. Of course Tony spotted them immediately. He got to his little legs and started tottering towards them and Red bent down to pick him up.

"Ma-ma, da-da!"

Liz kissed her baby boy and stroked over his blond hair. "Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good time with Uncle Ressy?"

Tony nodded and then angled up his head to look at his dad, pursing his lips for another kiss. Of course, Red could never say no to that. "Hello, Tony-tots. I missed you so much."

"Hi, guys!" She greeted both men with a hug.

"Hey, Liz!" Aram greeted back. "You look great." Then he surprised the rest of them when he pulled Red in for a hug as well. "You do, too, uhm… Mr. Reddington, sir."

Red laughed and clapped the younger man on the shoulder, before sitting down. "You don't have to be so formal, Aram."

"Right… uhm… Raymond… uh… Red. Yes, Red." Everyone was looking at Aram and he blushed, immediately busying himself with setting the table.

Liz shook his head. "Well, guys, there's news to share," she said, shooting her man a quick look, to see if he was alright with that.

"Are you pregnant again?" Aram asked.

"What? No!" She exclaimed, but Red just snorted.

"I mean we do spend a lot of time in bed, but –" he broke off, when an elbow connected painfully with his side.

"Reddington!" He smiled sheepishly and placed a gentle hand on her thigh.

Ressler had his face in his hands, trying to block out the images in his head. "Alright, I don't think I'll ever be able to forget this. Can we please move on? But let's wait a moment. There's still someone missing."

"Who else is coming?" She asked.

"That would be us," came a deep voice behind them.

She shot around and saw her boss and other co-worker walking towards them. "Hey, guys," she greeted with a smile.

Cooper drew her into a quick hug and then shook Red's hand, before plucking Tony from his arms. "Hello there, little man."

"Toops!" Tony shouted out his version of the man's last name. Since everyone only called Harold that, the little boy didn't really know any better.

Upon greeting Samar, Red could see Liz stiffen slightly. When would she understand that he had no interest in the other women? He raised an eyebrow at her, watching how she blushed, obviously realizing that her jealousy was unwarranted.

Cooper sat down next to Aram, Tony still in his arms. "I heard something about news?"

"Yes," Liz said, a smile spreading over her lips, as she leaned against her man, who in turn was happy to wrap an arm around her.

"Are you expecting another child?" Samar asked and Ressler put his face in his hands once again.

"I believe we moved on from that," he said and everyone chuckled at his antics.

Liz looked up at Red, her eyes sparkling with happiness. "Do you want to tell them?"

"You go ahead," he replied, stroking his thumb over her side.

"We're getting married," she just blurted out. A short moment of silence followed before everyone reacted.

"What? That's amazing, Liz!" Aram said, the others joining him in congratulating them.

The animated chatter made Tony want to join in and soon he started bouncing up and down in Cooper's arms, blabbering along. The two-year old didn't really know what was going on, but everyone seemed happy. He looked around and caught his father's eyes, his grin widening.

"Daddy," he said, holding out his hands.

Red smiled back at his boy. "If you want to come here, you need to walk, Tony, no crawling over the table."

The kid nodded and looked up at Cooper. "Down."

"What's the special word, little one?" Red asked, giving him a look.

"Pwease." He was rewarded with a soft 'good boy' and then walked over to his father, as quickly as his little legs would carry him.

Lifting his son into his arms, he cuddled him close, kissing his chubby cheek. "Are you hungry, Tony-tots?"

"Ya!"

The group was having a nice picnic, filled with easy conversation. They even asked about Dembe's whereabouts and Red told them that he was spending some time with his own family. He marveled at how well they all got along, he had never thought that one day he, the Concierge of Crime, would sit through lunch at a table full of FBI agents. Then again, he was going to marry one himself. Sometimes he wondered if he was asleep, dreaming all of this.

"Daddy?" His little boy drew him out of his reverie.

"Mhm?"

"Pee."

"You gotta pee? Alright, let's go find a place. Sweetheart, we'll go find a bathroom or something."

"Alright," Liz replied, checking her boy under the chin, before watching them go.

"He's so good with him," Aram said, not able to keep the awe from his voice. Liz nodded, warmth spreading through her. "I never thought I'd live to see that. I mean of course I should have known he would be good with a child, because of his own daughter… I mean not that… uhm –" Ressler kicked him under the table and Aram broke off.

She tried to smile as the young man apologized silently, but on the inside she felt like screaming. She didn't know why. Red had had a life before her, she knew that, knew that he had been married to Carla and that they had a daughter, but she also knew that after everything that had happened, whether she had all the information or not, he had no contact with them anymore. Liz was afraid of having him and then losing him for good. She knew what living without him was like and it was horrible.

She was so lost in thought, that she startled when Red sat back down next to her, letting Tony run around the table, demanding Ressler's attention.

"Are you okay?" He asked, having picked up on weird vibes.

She threw him a big grin, which didn't make him feel any better. "Sure."

Looping her arm around her back, he pulled her into his side, kissing her temple, hoping that maybe that would make her feel better.

"It's incredible that he tells you when he needs to go. My nice wouldn't do that until she was three. It was a pain," Aram said.

Red nodded. "He's such an easy child. Potty training him couldn't be easier."

"When are you guys getting married?" Samar asked.

He smiled softly. "Any day is fine with me."

"We haven't really talked about it yet," Liz told them.

"Were you going to get a wedding planner? A friend of mine is the best! I'll just write down his details for you, hold on." Aram frantically searched for something to write on after gladly accepting the pen Cooper held out to him.

Red took the offered piece of paper and put it inside his jacket pocket. "That is very nice of you, Aram, thank you."

Soon they were saying their goodbyes, again congratulating the couple before letting them leave. Tony seemed ready for a nap and Red gladly took him to his room, where the little boy fell asleep almost instantly.

He found his fiancée (he was absolutely psyched about that word), in the kitchen, nursing a glass of water. He still had the feeling something was off. "Lizzie?" She turned around and looked at him. "Are you sure you're okay? Something's going on."

"I'm fine," she replied, shooting him a quick smile.

"Elizabeth," he spoke her name in a low voice. "If you don't want this, you can just tell me."

She looked confused for a moment. "Don't want what?"

"To get married."

Even though he tried putting on a brave face, the look in his eyes almost broke her heart. "What? No! No, that's not - I… I do want to marry you." Liz hurried over to him, practically flinging herself against his chest.

"You see, yesterday I'd believe that to be true, this morning even, but something's changed. What happened between this morning and now?"

She cupped his face between her hands and gave him a hard kiss. "Don't say that, Red. I want to marry you. I really do. I just worry at times. It's not your fault, you're great… I just have issues."

"So, it is my fault. I left you and you think I'll do it again."

"No, I'm just worried that I'll drive you away somehow."

He gave her an incredulous look. "That wouldn't be possible in a million years, Lizzie. You're mine, and I'm yours. I love you Elizabeth, you have to realize and believe how much I do."

Nodding, she wrapped her arms more tightly around him, pushing her face into his neck. "I know. And I love you, too. Ignore me, it's just pre-wedding jitters or something."

Pressing a kiss to her head, he let his hands wander over her back. "You need to tell me those things, sweetheart. I can't reassure and comfort you if you don't tell me."

She pulled her head back and let her hands caress the back of his head. Nodding at his words, she pursed her lips and waited. Red chuckled and then leaned in to kiss her softly.

"Do you want to talk about wedding arrangements?" He asked upon pulling back. Her answering smile couldn't have been bigger.