Disclaimer - I do not own the Blacklist. Im back! And this chapter is a bit different to any of the previous ones. Definitely different outcome.

Chapter 14

This past week had been strange. He just couldn't place a finger on what the problem was, and this frustrated him more than he would ever admit. Red was used to being the one that knew everything first, using people's tells to figure them out. The subtle twitches in a person's eye, or the minute hand gestures that instantly gave away a person's intentions or thoughts. Throughout his whole criminal past it was what helped him survive. Helped him make money. Helped him convince people of the lies that he carefully wove. So not being able to figure out this current change in behavior frustrated him.

He could pinpoint the change to the first day of when he came back to New York last week. The Friday afternoon that he had met with Lizzie for coffee at, what he now thought of as, their café. For the past six months, every time he would come back to New York from wherever he was traveling, on the second day of his return, they would have coffee at this particular coffee shop. Sometimes joined by Ressler, but more often than not, it was just them. He updated her on the goings on of the outside world, and she informed him of any changes that had happened in his absence. The last six months had flown by in a hurricane of cases and close calls, so the weight was slowly lifted off his shoulders every time she opened up to him a little bit more in that little coffee shop. Their routine was simple, without the added pressure of being surrounding by FBI agents at the PO2. The tense atmosphere pressing down on them.

While she seemed her usual carefree self this time, her eyes crinkled just a little bit more. Her hand gestures just a little bit more introverted. Not wanting to press her, however still undeniably curious as to the cause, he skirted around several topics that could be the cause. But she never showed any outward aversion to any of them. He had gone through work, Ressler, Cooper, any current cases and criminals, he even mentioned Tom at one stage. And while this did make Lizzie tense and on edge for a while, he could tell that this wasn't the issue currently plaguing her. So he stepped back and watched. Used his extra powers of observation to try and figure out what was wrong.

He tried looking at the bigger picture.

In the past few months he had come and gone as he pleased. Presented them with cases, provided them with answers to questions they didn't even know to ask. Dealing with the FBI was definitely not on his list of choice things to do, but they had to be tolerated. Donald usually provided to be an amusing distraction from the painfully boring agents that usually swarmed the PO2. His approach being very similar to 'bull in a china shop'. Meera was another entity altogether. Her quick mind and witty remarks always trying to be one step ahead of him. While his guard was always up, he let her in a little bit more than anyone else, baring Lizzie. He respected the fact that she never pressed to receive answers for her questions. And while his interactions with every other agent left him with a feeling of being interrogated, Meera's sharp and clever observations always left him thinking. He enjoyed her much more than he should a CIA agent, however he took comfort in the fact that at least she wasn't FBI.

He had watched as Lizzie had become happier with the arrival of Ressler in her life as more than a partner. He saw the proverbial weight on her shoulders being lifted almost instantly from the moment they had walked out of her office, from what he assumed to be the first actual confrontation of feelings between the two of them. She no longer tried to hide anything in the depths of her conscience. He also closely watched how Ressler treated her. While before he seemed to always be willing and able to throw himself between her and danger, he now seemed to be reluctant to let her go out at all. Always thinking of ways to omit her from any sort of fieldwork that could go wrong. And while Lizzie wouldn't take no for an answer, Red always saw the moment of pain that flashed through Donald's face at the thought of something going wrong.

And as he watched them both for the past week, he noticed no noticeable change in Ressler. He was always sharp and to the point. Still as alert as ever. And still painfully aware of Lizzie. The subtle gestures to touch her where still there. Causal glances still exchanged. No change to the easy routine they had established. So Ressler wasn't the problem.

He though over the current cases. There was nothing out of the ordinary that could cause such a change in Lizzie. Just the everyday criminals that they had been dealing with on a regular basis. And while he did not assist in every case that they came across, he knew the gist of every single one. He of course came and went as he pleased, no one and nothing could keep him in chains, but he did have a necessity to check in on Liz. He made it his business to know of the cases she worked on and the criminals she followed. Just to prevent her from getting to far over her head. He had long ago acknowledged the need to protect her to be more primitive than anything – to protect what was his. And that's the way he looked at her – his. He would never tell her whether he was actually her father or not but he knew the questions floated in the forefront of her mind every time he was near.

He didn't want to burden her with the knowledge of what he really was, and whether she guessed it or not he knew she was better off not knowing. However, that didn't stop him from caring. And the need to protect her grew the more he learnt new things about her. The more he watched her.

So why was she acting so strange? Why did she give Ressler worried glances when she knew he wasn't looking? Only to put up a carefree front when he turned to her? It was as if she wanted to tell him something but was scared of his reaction. But what could it possibly be that Red didn't know about?

It all became incredibly clear in a matter of seconds the following Wednesday. A day like any other. Except the pieces in Red's mind had all come together with just one subtle gesture from his Lizzie. He mentally groaned for having missed it, so painfully obvious and in front of him the whole time. However he gave himself a free pass for missing this one. He was after all a man, and liable to miss these things. He wondered when Ressler would find out, no doubt the man was still completely clueless to the changes in Lizzie. He watched as she carefully walked into the PO2, casually stepping away from Ressler and wandered towards Meera for their usual morning chat. The mini explosion caused by coffee being spilt on a particularly touchy piece of technology causing all the ever-alert agents to flinch and look for the source of the noise. But Red's wide eyes where glued to Lizzie, who had instantly allowed her hands to go to her stomach. As if protecting something. And that was the moment where all the pieces fit together in his mind. Everything instantly making sense.

There would be good news coming his way soon.

Oh how he hoped for a little baby girl.

HA - Different much? This kind of ran away from me, i wanted to do something about Tom coming back but honestly i still can only picture Ressler driving a truck over him (best possible scenario for Tom in my head) so I'm thinking this is better. Hope you all had an amazing break - my liver hates me and I'm soooo glad to have an empty house again. i love my friends but i miss the QUIET :) hope you and your families all stayed safe! as always R&R. Love to all! - Stace