There for her

Setting: Immediately following 3.11

It was a small miracle that he hadn't been pulled over on the way to the hospital with the way he tore through the streets of Washington DC. Liz's call had caught him by surprise, but he'd heard it in her voice the moment she spoke. Her words had been a little muffled and with the soft edge to them that came with either utter exhaustion or impairment of some kind. The moment the word hospital had left her lips, though, he'd had his keys out was was all but flying out of the boat and towards the car parked along the docks. She had tried to brush it off and make it sound like it was nothing, but Tom knew her. She wouldn't have called if it was nothing.

"I'm looking for Elizabeth Keen's room?" he asked the nurse at the front desk of the ER, his voice a little more steady than he had expected it to be with the way his mind was whirling and fear was building up inside of him, the worst case scenarios playing out across his imagination. Attacked. She had said she had been attacked. The Cabal should have been dealt with by now. When she was released, she was supposed to finally be safe.

"Family?" the nurse asked.

"Yes. Tom Keen," he supplied, letting the bespectacled woman assume what she would from the identical last names.

"Through those doors, first hall on the left. Room 318."

"Thank you," he breathed, forcing his steps to slow so that the doors could open. The smell of the hospital hit him instantly in full force as he moved through to the ER recovery area, his long legs taking him at a decent pace towards the room that Liz was in. He spotted it, her name on the door, and was reaching out for the handle when it opened from the other side.

A startled Raymond Reddington blinked at him for just a fraction of a moment before regaining his composure. "Tom. Of course."

"I guess you got a call too," the younger man said noncommittally, doing his best to curb his natural instinct to snark at the man.

"I have my ways of receiving news," Reddington answered as he set his fedora on his head and ran his fingers along the brim, pulling it snuggly into place. Interesting. Liz hadn't called him. Tom did his best to crush a small and absurd feeling of victory at the realization. This wasn't a competition. This was about Liz.

Reddington cleared his throat. "She's asleep, and has been for a bit."

"What happened?"

"She was attacked in a grocery store parking lot, though I don't have the details yet." He paused, almost like he was weighing sharing something further, and his thin lips twitched. "I spoke to the medical staff. She'll make a full recovery."

"The guy that did this-"

"Is none of your concern, Tom." He loosed a frustrated sigh. "She's made it very clear that she won't heed my warnings about you, and short of putting a bullet in your head I can't seem to keep you out of her life, so the least you can do is focus on her and let me handle this."

Tom watched him carefully. He'd half expected him to simply try to turn him away considering how he had been summoned to Reddington's safe house earlier that evening and told under no uncertain terms that he would not be re-marrying Liz, but it seemed like, at least for the moment, Reddington was respecting Liz's wishes. Or at the very least her right to make her own decisions. Very slowly Tom nodded and stepped aside, feeling Reddington's eyes on him even as he slipped through the door. There was something else, but he couldn't quite place it. Something that had caused what was at least a momentary switch, but it became much less important as his gaze fell on Liz against the white sheets of the hospital bed.

She was sleeping, just as Reddington had said, with monitors reading off her vitals. They were strong, just like she was, but her face showed all the signs of a beating and Tom imagined there were more bruises hidden beneath the hospital gown that she wore. The sight of what someone had done to her made his blood boil. Whoever did this better hope Reddington got to him first, because Tom thought he might be willing to put aside his attempts to be better for the duration of their chat if he came across the bastard.

"Tom?"

The dark haired man blinked hard, pulling himself back down from the anger and he found a familiar pair of blue eyes on him. "Hey," he greeted softly. "I got here as quick as I could."

She tried for a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "I didn't mean you had to drop everything and come."

The words struck him and Tom found himself glancing down at his boots. He'd misread it. "I'm sorry, if you want me to go…"

"You're here now," she said quickly, and when he met her gaze again he couldn't miss the hope there.

They had been in such a strange sort of limbo since she had come back. He had done his best to let her set the pace of what happened, knowing that she sorely needed it after everything that had happened to her. He hadn't gone to her the night she had been released, not wanting her to feel like she owed him anything for his own choice to help, but she had come to him, and she had kept coming to him several times since she'd come back now. It had evened out into something strangely familiar, yet odd in its own way. It reminded him of their early days of dating in which there was a lot of fun to be had and the layers were peeled back very slowly with Liz a little hesitant to open herself up.

"How're you feeling?" he asked at last, moving to take a seat in the chair next to the bed.

Liz frowned. "Like I've been hit by a bus and am trying to swim through cotton."

Tom felt a small smile perk his lips. "All the good drugs, huh?"

"I hate them so much."

"Yeah, but if you didn't have them you'd want them."

"Fair," she chuckled and reached out, her fingers finding his and Tom felt a flush of warmth at her touch. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Coming. I know it's stupid."

Tom leaned forward, pressing a very careful kiss to her scraped palm. "Anytime. Seriously."

"You've got a life. You can't just drop everything-"

"Stop," he murmured and looked to find her staring at him. She really was fuzzy right then. "You're worth it. Anything and anytime."

Her lips pulled at the corners into a small smile. "You were alway the romantic one."

"You have your moments," he teased. "Sometimes."

Her smile widened a little. "Jerk."

"So how long are they keeping you for?"

Liz shifted. "They said they'd probably release me in the morning. My ribs are the worst of it."

"Not a lot to do for that," he agreed and scooted his chair a little closer, his hand still holding hers. "You should get some rest."

"If you need to go-"

"I'll stay if you'll let me."

"What? Just sleep in the chair?"

"It's not as uncomfortable as it looks."

"I swear you can sleep anywhere," she murmured, laughing a little as she did.

He settled back into the chair, his eyes slipping shut as he slouched to get as comfortable as he could. "I'm not going anywhere, Liz. Get some sleep."

Her grip on his hand tightened just a little and her voice had all the signs of the drugs running through her system making her a little more honest. "Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you, right?"

He blinked his eyes back open in surprise at the soft confession.

"I know I don't say it. I know I don't even show it most of the time, but… I do. I'm just… Scared, I guess."

Tom gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. Honesty deserved honesty in return. "Me too."

"Really?"

"Sure. You're the first person I've ever really loved, Liz. That can do a lot of damage."

"Worried I'm going to break your heart?"

Her light tone pulled a real smile from him. "A little."

Her brows drew together and for a second he was worried she was about to try to sit up and try to look at him. She settled for sighing and turning her head towards him though. "I can't promise you I won't, Tom. I don't want to, but…"

"Hey. One step at a time," he said soothingly. "I know I… rushed it with the proposal this morning. I just need you to know I'm here. I'm not running away."

"Even if I might break your heart?"

"You're worth the risk, Liz," he answered. "We'll take this at your pace. If I go too fast, all you have to do is say the word."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you," she murmured, settling back in. "Love you."

"I love you too. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" she asked drowsily.

"Promise."

He waited until he was sure she had drifted again before settling back in the chair, her fingers still loosely curled in his and her breathing even. She was amazing and he was pretty sure that he would never get used to the idea that even after everything she was choosing to love him again. He knew he could never make up for what had happened, but he could do everything in his power to give her what she deserved. He would be there for her.

Notes: So, I love Red, and I'm sure he's a master of observation, but did anyone else question that he knew Liz was pregnant simply by noticing small changes when she herself didn't know?

This prompt was sent in by EveyEdge/Blacklister214. I feel like I wrote it, rewrote, tweaked, erased, and rewrote again way more than usual on this one. Not sure why, but I finally got it to a place that I'm good with it. Hope you guys enjoyed!