I'm right here
Rating: M (some mature content)
I don't own anything about the Blacklist, jus like playing around with it.
Author notes: Again, still getting back in the swing of writing, I write my stories in AU, but try to keep things in line or common with the show.
Note: chapter 2 of I'm right here, Red and Liz need to come to terms with feelings.
Liz stood there with her back against the door for a moment trying to get herself under control. The tears on her face taking over, walking to find Dembe as she cleared her face with her hands.
"Elizabeth, what is wrong?" Dembe, reading the hurt and anger on her face instantly.
"Call the doctor Dembe, the gun shot to his shoulder needs taken care of. Then you can tell Reddington that I'm done being a business transaction." Liz stormed past him and out the door, slamming that one behind her as well.
Back inside Dembe stood there with a blank, what the hell just happened look on his face, pulling his phone out quickly making the arrangements with the doctor. Dembe walked down to the room, opening to door to see Red standing in front of the window, shirtless with the cloth held to his shoulder.
"Raymond…the doctor is on the way." Dembe quietly informing him.
"Thank you Demba." Red didn't even turn around.
Walking over to him, Dembe stood behind him. "Raymond, are you okay?" he was worried about his friend. Red turned his head, looking over his shoulder at Dembe.
There was hurt in his voice as he spoke, "She'll always mad at me."
Dembe looked at him for a moment and then grabbed a clean cloth and walked to stand in front of him. Handing him the rag, Red replaced the red color soaked one with the fresh one. Dembe sat on the window seal and put his hands in his lab.
"Raymond, what do you expect? I see the way you look at her, and she looks at you. I saw the way you guys were dancing in Cuba, all she wants from you is the truth and your love. This…" Gesturing with his hands, "this front you keep putting up is only going to drive her further away."
Reddington just kept looking out the window, he knew Dembe was right.
"I have spent my whole life trying to keep her safe, if I let her in it's only going to put her into more danger, she can never have what she deserves so much, a normal life, a normal husband, children, walking in the park hand in hand. I cant give her that."
Dembe just looked at him with a blank look.
"Why?" is all he asked Red.
Reddington just looked at him dumbfounded. What did he mean why? How could Demba think it was just that easy? As he tried to process it a knock at the door turned both their attentions away from the conversation as the doctor let himself in to take care of Red.
Elizabeth stood in the shower, the hot water washing over her. she cursed Reddington under her breath, that he was so blind to what was right in front of him. Truth be told she really just wanted to smack him in the back of the head in hopes it would do something to make him wake up and see her for what she was.
A woman who loved him and wanted nothing more then to be with him, in hindsight she could see why he would not want more between them, if they were to be together it would mean she would always be a target to someone, she would be the point of weakness for Reddington and his empire.
But in a lot of ways she was already that point for him, more then she could count she had already been use as leverage against him. why would that change if they were sleeping together? Her thoughts were a mile a minute, as the last of the hot water flowed over her, she shut the water off and stepped out.
Red sat while the doctor looked over his shoulder.
"Your lucky Red, it's just a though and though, I'm going to give you a nerve block so I can stitch this up, any worse and we would be in surgery right now."
Red just nodded as the doctor started to work on him, his mind was too busy thinking of Elizabeth and what Dembe said.
Could he give her the life he felt she deserved? Could he keep her safe? She already walked around with a target on her back, but being the girlfriend, wife, lover what ever you wanted to call her of the most notorious criminal ever would only make the target ten times bigger. By the time he drug himself from all the thoughts running through his head the doctor was finishing up.
"Rest Reddington." The doctor gathered all his things and walked out, Dembe was leaning against the doorframe and gave the doctor a thank you.
"How are you feeling Raymond?" Red eased himself out of the chair and walked over to the full-length mirror, checking his wound. The bruising was setting in, turning a dark black and blue.
"Dembe, would you grab me a clean shirt out of the closet and help me please?"
Demba looked at him for a moment and went to the closet returning a few moments later with the requested shirt helping Red to ease it up and over his left side and then the right, Red winced in pain as he instinctively went to button the shirt up, Dembe helped him with the first few bottom buttons, leaving the last couple undone. Dembe grabbed the sling, Red hated having to wear them as this was not the first or the last time, he was sure he would need one.
"Can you grab my ball cap and help me with my shoes please?"
Dembe found the hat in the closet and tossed it on the bed next to Red who was trying to wiggle his shoe on, Dembe benting down and helped him.
"Thank you, my friend."
Demba just gave him a light smile.
"Where are we going Raymond?"
"I need to talk to Elizabeth."