Envelope 36

Author's Note: We know Reddington is sick and can't live forever….

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"Didn't you just take all those rocks out of that truck?" Reddington asked Christopher who was sitting on the grass a few feet away from him in his Adirondack chair.

"Yes, I am loading and unloading for a job," Christopher replied, deep in concentration.

"Construction?" Reddington asked him.

Christopher looked at him puzzled.

"Building?" Reddington simplified.

"Big tall ones!" Christopher yelled.

Reddington smiled at him as he looked at Donald standing in the water watching Agnes dive for some kind of toy that was weighted.

"She's deeper today," Reddington called out to Don.

"Yeah, she's learning fast," Don said as he watched her come to the surface with her googles and triumphantly holding the toy above her head.

"Good job sweetie!" Don praised her. "Take a break and swim near me for a few minutes."

Agnes nodded and handed him to toy that he held and started to swim back and forth from him to the dock.

"I think you have an athlete on your hands Donald," Reddington called to him. "Soccer and swimming…"

"Yeah, anything that keeps her busy and focused when she's a teenager," Don said with a smile.

"Is that what you did as a teenager?"

"Sports? Yeah," Don said back.

"And did you stay out of trouble?" Reddington asked with a glint in his eye. He knew the answer.

Don laughed, he got into a whole lot of trouble as a teen.

"Yeah, but she's got me," he said with a smirk.

"True," Reddington smiled back.

The nurse arrived by his side to check the transfusion and then left. It had been over a year since their talk in the church and Reddington was doing okay, but not great. Don had figured out a way to help, he donated his B negative blood every 6 weeks to Reddington who had it transfused into his body to keep up his counts and his energy.

"I think I have more of your blood in me now Donald, than my own," Reddington chuckled as he looked at what remained of the bag that needed to go in.

"Whatever works," Don said as he picked up Agnes mid front crawl and tossed her into the water with a loud shriek of surprise coming from her lips.

"How are you feeling about Christopher starting school in a few weeks?" Reddington asked.

"It'll be nice to have them both in one location," Don said. "And he needs to develop his speech more so being around other kids will help, hopefully."

Reddington nodded.

"I think he's quite bright," Reddington said. "You just need to loosen his tongue a bit for all the genius to roll out."

"He's pretty smart," Don said as he waved to a passing kayak about 40 feet away. "You know, he can recite whole books back to you that you've only read to him a couple of times?"

Reddington turned and looked at the little guy and realized he hadn't just been dumping stones in and out of his truck but weighting his load perfectly with different stone configurations each time. This boy was going to be smart.

"Yes, I think being in a more engaging environment than the FBI daycare is going to do the lad some good," Reddington nodded.

Sheila walked down to the water and picked up Christopher telling him it was time to get cleaned up and read some books. She had joined them on vacation at the cottage only once before as she didn't like being away from her boyfriend who had moved in with her in DC. And Don honestly liked having his kids to himself when they went to the cottage. But, with Reddington there the entire two weeks, it was a lot of work for Dembe and Don with the kids and him to care for.

Reddington had funded her archeological dig for one month every summer in Belize and offered her full time pay while operating the site while in Belize, on the condition that she would return to her PhD part-time so she could continue to care for the Ressler children. Don had been livid he had interfered, but when she decided that yes, that was a good deal, was relieved he didn't need to find someone else.

So far it had been going well, she still took the kids after school, took them for a few hours on the weekend and then disappeared for the month of June to go on her dig. That month Don left work early each day and worked from home for a couple of hours in the evening to get what he needed done. It was not ideal, but the kids got to keep Sheila and he was hoping she'd keep this going for a few more years until Agnes and Kit would be fine on their own with just security for a little time after school everyday.

"I need to get them changed out of their wet clothes so you can get them fed before bed," she said to Don as she picked up a towel.

"Okay Agnes, time to go with Sheila," Don said as he pulled her up from the water and looked at her goggled eyes.

"But…"

"You can swim again tomorrow," Don said. "No rain for the next few days. But you need to get dried off, you are looking like a raisin sweetie."

She reluctantly nodded but stomped a little on her way out of the water, splashing water on her brother, Sheila, and Reddington as she did.

"Hey!" Don called to her in a stern voice.

She stopped splashing and walked normally toward her towel.

Sheila wrapped her in it and told her about the bird houses they were going to paint to hang in the trees around the cottage. Agnes seemed excited by the idea and was jumping next to Agnes while they walked away her mouth going a mile a minute with ideas for her bird house.

"She's spirited like Lizzie," Reddington chuckled as he watched her walk away with the nanny and Christopher.

"Oh, she's spirited alright," Don said with a smirk.

"You ever wonder about the nature vs nurture argument Donald?" Reddington asked.

"Like is how I'm raising her making her into who she will be one day, I hope to hell so," Don said as he dipped down into the water so his shoulders were covered.

"And how much of them is Lizzie even with her gone," Reddington said.

"The flying fits," Don said with a snicker. "I see Liz when she got so obsessed about something. It's like Agnes' eyes light up like hers did."

Reddington nodded before he rested his head back on his chair. Don could tell he was tired today and the fresh air may have done him in. He'd probably be napping while they ate dinner.

"And Christopher's mischievousness," Don said with a broad smile. "He sneaks things and hides things, and I can tell just by looking at his face that he's done it. She used to get like that too. I could tell when there was more going on then she let on."

Don looked at Reddington carefully. He saw the soft rise and fall of his chest and realized the man had fallen asleep while he was talking. He looked at the bag of blood and noted there was a little to go before he was done so he may as well relax until the nurse came back. They had a nurse, Dembe, security, and Sheila with them. Don had rented the cottage down the road for two weeks just to accommodate the nurse and Sheila and, despite the entourage, it was a great family vacation on the lake. In the cottage, Dembe had one room, Red another, the kids bunked together, and Don had his room with security in the guest quarters downstairs. It was tight, but they all managed. And, it had been a great two weeks, Dembe had relaxed and enjoyed some fishing, Reddington had sat and watched the kids play and swim, and Don had had some nice conversations with the man.

Don laid back and floated in the water for a few minutes, relishing in the little bit of time he had in the water to himself before he needed to get started on supper. Dembe was inside already chopping the veg, but he needed to get the barbeque going.

"Why'd you recommend Park really?" Don asked her as they lay on her sofa, she partially on top of him, watching a British cop show.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked she rested her chin on his chest.

"You had ulterior motives," Ressler said as he eyed her carefully.

"And what could those be?" She asked, mischievously.

He reached down just above her waist and tickled her, causing her to thrash and cry out.

"Shhh, you'll wake Agnes," Ressler warned her as he continued to tickle and hold her against him. When he finally stopped, she had hair in her face she was wiping away and looked slightly sweaty from the thrashing.

"Is that your new interrogation technique?" Liz asked.

"No, I got a better one, but we need to move to your bedroom for that one," Don said seductively.

"Why the bedroom, you need the maneuvering room?" Liz asked, intrigued.

"No, I can't do the things I want to do to you with a princess castle in front of me," he said as his eyes shifted to Agnes' castle in the living room. "It feels pervy."

"Really?" Liz asked, she hadn't even thought about it.

"Yes, we are PG in front of the pink castle," Don said. "I don't need to go to therapy for this."

Liz laughed at his joke and propped her two arms up on his chest and looked down at him.

"You want to know why I recommended her?" Liz asked.

Don nodded.

"Besides being a great agent, smart, gutsy, good in the field…"

"Yeah, I read her file too," Don agreed.

"She's a super fan of yours and I wanted to see you navigate that," Liz said before she buried her head against her arms in embarrassment.

"What?" Don asked, surprised.

"Ressler, she wrote a paper on your handling of the Reddington case," Liz said as she looked back up at him. "She thinks you are god's gift to the FBI."

"Come on," Don said, feeling uncomfortable with the topic.

"I was being mischievous," Liz offered. "I wanted to see you squirm as you dealt with the Don Ressler Fan club president."

"You little devil," Don said, his eyes wide. "You're joking about the club, right?"

"Yes," Liz laughed. "But if there was one, she would be the president, or maybe the treasurer."

"Well, thanks for that?" Don said sarcastically. "As if I'm not navigating enough workplace relationship issues…."

"We're an issue?" Liz teased.

Don shook his head and reached for the remote turning off the British cop show.

"Come on," he said with a nod of his head, causing Liz to pull herself back up off him and stand.

He led her to her bedroom by the hand, and after checking that the door to her place was locked, demonstrated an interrogation technique that had her biting down on a pillow so she wouldn't wake Agnes with her moans.

And, in the morning, Agnes ran into the bedroom and he hid under the blankets while Liz brought her to the kitchen to get breakfast. He scooped up his clothes, went to the washroom and changed into his jeans and t-shirt before he walked out of the washroom and into the kitchen. Agnes yelled 'Uncle Don' at the sight of him and didn't even question why he was there in the early morning hours and why he was in their washroom.

Liz said he could stay over after that if he wanted to, as long as they kept things like that morning—she was not ready for Agnes to see them in bed together or any kind of compromising position. Don agreed, and spent a lot more time at her place after that.

Don heard someone approach and, always on alert, stood and looked at the source. It was Reddington's nurse, Hilda, coming to check on his transfusion.

"He fell asleep," Don said toe her as he walked from the water and grabbed his towel.

"He nods off more easily lately," she said as she turned something on the blood to stop the flow. "It's a sign."

"A sign?" Don asked as he toweled himself off.

"He's coming to the end," she said softly.

Don nodded, he knew that in his brain, but it was still hard to accept.

"Can he just stay there asleep or…?" Don asked.

"He's had a lot of sun today," she said as she looked up at it lower in the sky. "And he'll sleep for a while, he should be in his bed."

Don nodded, "I'll get him inside."

Hilda nodded and unhooked the blood tap from his arm and took it up to the cottage.

Don stood looking at Reddington for a couple of minutes. He was still one of the most wanted men on the planet, still actively giving them cases even if he wasn't actively involved in them anymore. He had wound down his criminal empire and had stopped being involved in any business in the last year, just living off all the money he'd made, meeting with old friends, eating well (when he could), and travelling. He'd taken up weird hobbies like bonsai trees and soap stone carving that baffled even Dembe, who knew him better than anyone else. He had retired, essentially, in this last year of life, enjoying his days instead of hustling through them. Don didn't realize when he spoke with him at Alina's wedding that Reddington had started the process of closing shop eight months prior to that. He was preparing to have his affairs in order.

Don threw his towel over the other chair and leaned down in front of Reddington.

"Red?" Don said softly. "Red, I need to get you back to the house."

He watched his eyes flutter open and he looked quickly from side to side. The man had been on the run for much of his life, the instinct to assess his surroundings was embedded in him.

"Right," Reddington said as he took a deep breath and pushed the afghan off his legs so he could stand.

Don helped get him up to standing and walked slowly next to him back to the cottage, always ready to catch him if he faltered in his steps or had trouble walking up the gentle slope to the house.

"You're a good man Donald," Reddington said to him as they walked.

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me," Don chuckled next to him.

"Lizzie got it right when she picked you," Reddington said as he glanced toward the younger man. "I just wish you and she had more time together."

Don nodded, he hadn't shared with anyone that Liz visited him, whether it was a ghost or his own hallucination, he still wasn't sure. But the visits felt real, he could touch her and hold her and speak with her and she seemed to know things that he didn't, so how could she be something he made up?

"You know, I haven't told anyone this, and I think of all people you'll understand, or, at least I hope you do," Don said as they slowly walked. "She visits me."

Reddington turned and looked at him surprised.

"I don't know if I'm imagining it or hallucinating it or it's actually a fucking ghost," Don said nervously. "But from time to time she comes to me, and we talk and I can hold her."

Reddington stopped walking and looked at the young man who had just shared something incredibly personal with him.

"I'm glad you have that Donald," Reddington said honestly. "The time you didn't get in life, you have been granted in death. That's special."

Don was surprised by his words, expecting Reddington to ask him to check for concussion symptoms or make a joke about his over-active imagination.

"I think so too," Don said.

The two men started their walk toward the cottage again.

"What's she like?" Reddington asked.

"Very peaceful," Don said. "Playful, contemplative…she really likes to talk about my life, the kids…"

"And she comes to you often?" Reddington asked.

"No," Do said. "A couple times a year, not necessarily on significant days or at significant times…she says she has no control over when she arrives."

Reddington nodded.

"I look forward to seeing her soon," Reddington admitted. "Spending time with her again."

Don nodded. Reddington still had never explained his connection to Liz and, after all this time, it didn't matter. He was a man who loved her, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

"I think she will like that," Don said with a smile. "I think she will like that a lot."

That night, Reddington slept through the dinner they had outside, but joined them for a bonfire later that night where he demonstrated the fine art of making a smores for the kids and told funny stories to them around the fire. They spent two more days together at the cottage enjoying the lake, the outdoors and a lot of conversation.

Reddington was sitting in a car across the street when Don walked Christopher in for his first day of school and the young man cried and needed to be pried off his father by the teacher to go inside. And, Reddington watched Don leave the school at the end of the day with two smiling happy children and Christopher talking a mile a minute as they walked to the car. It had been a good day after all.

They spent more time together in the fall until Reddington left for Greece when the weather started to turn cooler. And on a cold, crisp day in November, just over four years after they had lost Elizabeth, Dembe called Don from Greece and told him that Reddington has passed away in his sleep that night. Dembe brought his body to the South Sudan where he was interned in a private traditional burial.

Don invited Dembe and everyone who knew and loved Reddington, including many criminals leery of an AD of the FBI extending an invitation, to a dinner at Red's favorite restaurant in DC for a private goodbye. Into the wee hours of the morning, stories were shared, speeches were made, food was eaten, and booze was poured in abundance, and Raymond was remembered as the man that they all loved. Reddington would have loved to be there.

In his will, he left a great portion of his money to Dembe, kept funding in place for Sheila's Belize dig for another 5 years, left several million and a collection of rare books to Don's children, priceless, personal and rare pieces of art were given to Aram, Don, Cooper and various others in his life, and many millions to an organization that was building the Elizabeth Keen Children's Library in a corner of Rock Creek Park near where Don lived. Reddington had acquired the permits, paid off city officials, and worked with architects on the design for years, with no one but Dembe being the wiser. Construction had started more than a year before his death, but the benefactor involved, and the name of the library had been kept a secret. Don had even mentioned to Reddington himself how he was happy to have a new library so close in the park for his kids to visit.

The library was a glass structure that looked like a modern circus tent with colourful windows that allowed the light inside and was filled with children's books from around the world, colourful maps, original children's art, and a play centre. It was breathtaking and was going to be opened in the summer if construction stayed on target. His final gift that he had left in the world was a place for children to learn and grow, named after the woman who was his daughter, near the grandchildren he had left behind. It was the greatest gift.

To be continued….