The Long Game
Part 3
Author's Note: I'm finding it hard to write them distant like they were at the start of the series. I hope I'm pulling it off okay. Please leave a review.
WWWWWWWWWWW
Don stood and held his bride in his arms thinking he should get an academy award for all the acting he did in his bloody job. He was flagging everything she was looking into, and despite her work on the Wujing case they just closed, he was still not sure why she was getting the breaks she was. She didn't have to work for her place like he did. After pizza last night they went to bed in their separate rooms and he slept a fitful night. He heard her talking to her husband early in the morning and was frustrated when it took her longer to come out for breakfast so they could get on the road. He may not have been the best company in the car on the way to NYC and she seemed quiet herself.
They changed at a hotel, he into a navy suit with blue tie and she into an off-white lacy wedding dress that fell to her knees. They took pictures in a small ballroom there to make it look like a ceremony with an FBI agent as the judge, and then left for a nearby park to do any other pictures needed. So far they had pictures of them walking hand-in-hand, a picture of him kissing the bride, pictures of them gazing into each other's eyes, and pictures of them leaning against a tree together.
"Dip her," the photographer instructed.
Don dipped Liz down as they stood on the stone bridge in the park and smiled down at her as the camera went off. She did look pretty in her simple vintage wedding dress with her hair long and flowing. All Don could think about was how itchy the collar of this shirt he was wearing was. Someone had starched it too much and his sensitive skin was not liking it.
"Don't you two look lovely," Reddington said as he walked toward them. "I am trying not to be offended that I wasn't invited."
Don lifted Liz up from the dip and they stood looking at Reddington approach them.
"What are you doing here?" Liz asked him.
"I wanted to see the two of you try and pull this off," Reddington said with a smile. "If ever I saw an odd couple…"
"We don't need any comments from the peanut gallery," Don said.
"Collar too tight Donald?" Reddington asked with a raised eyebrow.
"We have to finish this," Liz said to Reddington.
"Don't let me get in the way," Reddington said. "Have we kissed the bride yet Donald?"
"We need to finish and get back to Baltimore," Don said as he walked off the bridge toward the area where their car was parked.
"Why are you really here?" Liz asked Reddington as she watched Don march away.
"He's not very happy for a groom," Reddington said as he looked after the young man. "Perhaps it's because his fiancé left him?"
Liz looked at him confused. "What?"
"A story for another time," Reddington said.
"Again, why are you here?" Liz asked.
"I was in town and thought I'd pop by," Reddington said. "Are you both staying for dinner?"
"No," Liz said as she started to walk toward their car with Reddington by her side. The photographer had already gone to take some pictures of Don on his own leaning against the classic car.
"Too bad," Reddington said. "I thought I'd treat the happy couple to La Fille."
"We're good, thanks," Liz said as she approached Don and the photographer.
"Well, I can tell where I'm not wanted," Reddington said.
"Can you, really?" Don asked him sarcastically.
"What shot do you want next?" Liz asked the photographer.
"Can we get another one kissing?" He asked.
Liz nodded and Don narrowed his eyes at Reddington warning him to dare say anything.
Reddington nodded and started to walk away.
"Hold her on the hip and lean into her with your whole body," the photographer instructed.
Don did as he was told and when Reddington turned back to look, Donald and Lizzie were kissing as he leaned her up against the classic car. It was a beautiful picture.
Later that day, after changing back into their normal clothes, Don and Liz were back on the road to Baltimore.
"Do you run or walk?" Don asked.
"I used to run," Liz said. "I have a stationary bike at home."
"Well, you need to be seen in the neighborhood, running or walking allows more people to see you, to notice you… do you have some small workout clothes?"
"Excuse me?" Liz asked.
"Men look at women in fitted or small workout clothes, it makes you memorable versus baggy clothes," Don said as he drove.
"I guess I have a couple things," Liz said.
"Okay, well, maybe go for a pre-dinner run when we get home? I'll take a morning run," Don said.
Liz nodded.
"The idea is when we are here, we come and go a lot, we are out and in the neighborhood a lot, no patterns so people don't notice when we aren't here."
Liz nodded.
"We should eat out, pick up coffees, get the paper, get take-out, go to shops, read outside on a bench, be visible…that sort of thing," Don said.
Liz nodded.
"You just going to nod?" Don asked.
"I'm just taking it all in," Liz said.
"Okay," Don said, not sure if she understood how important it was to establish a presence but not establish a pattern.
They drove until they were just outside of Baltimore in relative quiet.
"Reddington showed up to throw you off," Liz said, her profiler working overtime on the ride home.
"What?" Don asked.
"He did it as a warning," Liz said as she turned to look at him.
"Why would he be warning me?" Don asked, not sure what she was getting at.
"Have you noticed he's a little bit possessive about me?" Liz asked him.
"A little?" Don asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ok, a lot," Liz chuckled.
"How's your husband feel about that?" Don asked.
"It's classified, remember?" Liz said.
"You didn't hint that you were working with someone who creeped you out?" Don asked.
"No, I haven't said a thing," Liz said.
"Huh," Don said.
"What?" She asked.
"I thought you would have at least, without giving anything away, said that a man being a little obsessive about you," Don said.
"Tom doesn't know anything about who I work with or what I do," Liz said.
Don nodded.
"So, he was warning me? Of what?" Don asked.
"I don't think it's sexual," Liz said.
"Excuse me?" Don asked.
"His interest in me," Liz said. "It's more…almost paternal."
"I'm not sure it's not sexual," Don said, honestly.
"No," Liz said.
"Look, the only reason I know a man to be that obsessed with a young, beautiful, woman is to get her in his bed," Don said.
Liz smiled at his compliments.
"I know sexual seems obvious, but that's not it," she said.
"So, he was warning me away as a father would a man he didn't approve of?" Don asked.
"Sort of," Liz said.
"But you're married," Don said. "This is all fake, he knows that."
"I know," Liz said. "That's what makes it odd…"
Don furrowed his brow, trying to think about the possibilities.
"I'm missing something," Liz said.
Don shook his head. "I think with Reddington, there isn't always a reason. Maybe he was just trying to throw us both off, or, show us he can go where he likes now that he's got the god damned chip…."
Liz bit her lip and wondered. There was something she was missing…
When they got back to their place they relaxed for an hour and then headed out to a local restaurant for dinner where they compared college stories and spent most of the walk home laughing at Liz's crazy roommates from her fourth year.
When they got back to the apartment it was dark and Don noticed several apartments lit up across the street. Several apartments with people who had a perfect view of their place.
Don turned on a light in the living room and poured himself a glass of water while he looked across the street. There was a couple watching TV, an older woman watering her plants, and a guy on a computer that was looking right at him.
"Can you go into the bedroom and sit down on the bed and look at your phone?" Don asked her. "Turn on a bedside light."
"Sure, why?" Liz asked as she walked toward the bedroom and turned on a bedside lamp and looked at her phone. "Is there something wrong?"
"I'm going to do something, and I need you to not freak out," Don said as he walked toward the lamp he had turned on and turned it off then went and locked their front door.
"What are you doing?" Liz asked from the bedroom.
Don walked toward the bedroom peeling his shirt over his head to reveal his bare chest underneath.
"Why don't you tell me what you are doing?" Liz called to him.
"And take away the surprise?" Don asked as he arrived at the door and she looked up.
She smiled, surprised he was being so bold.
"See, that's the reaction I needed," Don grinned at her as he walked toward her. "Just trust me."
She nodded and he leaned in and started to kiss her neck, she moved her head, so he had better access.
"Is this taking advantage of the curtain-less windows?" Liz asked him.
"Yes, it is," he said as he leaned his body over hers and she laid down on her back. He braced himself above her so there wasn't any contact, but people across the street wouldn't be able to tell. He used her hair to his advantage and made it look like he was kissing her when really, he was just kissing her hair.
"People are watching?" Liz asked,
"Yeah," Don said before he pulled back and leaned over to turn off the bedside light and plummet the room into darkness.
He flopped on his back on the bed next to her and they both starred up at the ceiling in the dark.
"You're good," Liz chuckled.
"I know," he said with a smile. "I'll get up and leave in a few minutes when they've lost interest. Don't turn on any lights or use your phone, the light will screw up the story."
"Okay," Liz said next to him.
"When we have curtains, we'll just look like we're getting ready to have sex and then shut the curtains, it'll be easier," Don said.
He felt Liz nod next to him.
"Have ever been married undercover?" Liz asked, "on all those assignments?"
"No," Don admitted.
"But you knew how to fake sex," Liz said.
"I had a fake girlfriend a couple of times," Don said.
"Ahhh," Liz nodded. "Another FBI agent?"
"Yeah, Carmelinda on one assignment and Denise on another."
"Were either of them married, in real life?"
"No, both single," Don said.
There was a long silence.
"Ever tempted to not fake it with them?" Liz asked.
She felt Don turn to look at her in the darkness.
"Trying to psychoanalyze me?" Don asked.
She didn't answer.
"No," Don said as he swallowed hard.
She raised an eyebrow, sensing that wasn't the full story.
"I better get going," Don said as he started to get up.
He felt her arm come across his chest holding him down.
"It hasn't been a few minutes," Liz said.
Don huffed next to her.
The lay in silence for a few minutes. Her arm across his chest.
"Can I go now? I'm getting cold," Don said, annoyed.
She lifted her arm and he carefully got up and left the room in complete darkness.
"Night!" Liz called to him as she pulled off her pants and took off her bra, feeling around for the t-shirt she left under the pillow last night.
"Night Liz," Don said before he shut the door to his bedroom.
To be continued…