AN: And here's the second part of my "one-shot". Thank y'all for being so kind to leave a review, they make me happy. I'm glad you liked it so far! Special thanks to redisthenewblackington, because she's the best!

Disclaimer: See earlier chapter

Chapter 2

Dinner was a pleasant affair and Red's vegetable stew tasted wonderful. After cleaning up, they sat down on the couch and Red went through some papers.

"Is Dembe coming?" She asked suddenly.

He shot her a quick look. "No. He's holding down the fort at home. He's our eyes and ears."

"Is he safe?"

Red chewed on the inside of his cheek. "As safe as can be."

The sat in silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. "At least he can take care of your cat." He huffed a laugh. "What's his name?"

The Concierge of Crime put down the stack of papers and turned to her. If she was inclined to have a conversation with him, he surely wouldn't pass up the opportunity. "What makes you think it's a 'he'?"

Liz shrugged. "I once read that male cats are cuddlier than female ones."

"So, you were cuddling with my cat? Just how long did you stay there?"

"He started it," she defended herself. "He was purring and rubbing himself against me. I had no choice."

"Of course he would do that," Red laughed. He had to give it to the cat, he knew what was good. Being touched by Lizzie was the best.

"So?"

"So?"

"The name, Red."

He nodded. "Mr. Meagles." She burst out laughing the second he spoke the name, falling backwards against the cushion and holding her belly. She saw him giving her an unamused look, which only made her laugh again. "What?" He asked.

"Mr. Meagles? Really, Red?"

"What's wrong with that? It's from Little Dorrit, by Charles Dickens."

She sat up and put a hand to his thigh, squeezing lightly. "Nothing," she said after having caught her breath. "I would've never expected that."

"What would you have expected?"

"Actually… I have no idea. So, somehow I'm still trying to picture you with that cat. I mean, there would be hair all over your clothes."

"I have a lint brush," he answered and she chuckled again. "Meagles loves curling up on laps, so that comes in handy."

"Maybe you can properly introduce us some day," she said carefully, remembering how he hadn't wanted her in his apartment. And even if he would be okay with her entering his personal space, she wasn't sure if they could ever return to US soil. "I miss Hudson."

Red put an arm around her and stroked over her shoulder. "I'm sure he misses you as well, but Aram is taking good care of him."

"You think Mr. Meagles and Hudson would get along?"

The way her mind worked was a mystery to him, but her words warmed his heart. "I think the pet's just like the owner, and we seem to be getting along quite well."

"Apart from me trying to kill you."

"Well, that just adds some spice to our relationship," he said with a grin.

LizzingtonLizzingtonLizzington

She awoke with a scream, unsure just what had startled her, when her bedroom door banged open. "Lizzie?" Red. "Are you okay? What happened?" Outside, the rain poured while lightning illuminated the sky, making her flinch. "Sweetheart?" He gently sat down next to her.

"It's okay. I'm okay," she said, more to herself than to him.

"Not a fan of thunderstorms, huh?"

"No," Liz answered miserably.

He scooted back to lean against the headboard and put his arm around her, pulling her into his chest. She went willingly and tucked her head under his chin, trying to calm her racing heart. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Stay?"

"Of course."

They stayed huddled together for a long time. Whenever Liz flinched at the unforgiving weather outside, Red hugged her more tightly as he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. After a while, he thought that she had finally fallen asleep again, but then she spoke.

"I don't think I can go to sleep anymore. I'm sorry for keeping you awake. You should go back to sleep. I can handle this."

"I have nowhere else to be, and I've always had trouble sleeping, so you're not keeping me awake."

She put one of her arms over his waist and hugged him to her. "Can you talk to me? About anything really. Just talk?"

He smiled into the darkness and proceeded to straighten the covers around her form before getting a little more comfortable himself. "Have I told you about how I found myself in a mental institution in Brazil?"

"What?"

"Ah… good times. There was this little old man. He was… maybe a hundred and ten years old. That's what everyone says, at least. He had a small garden behind his house where he grew an array of beautiful plants and psilocybin mushrooms."

"Mushrooms?"

"The best you'll ever find anywhere. Did you know that over 200 different types of mushrooms contain psilocybin? I admit that I might have gotten a little carried away…"

Of course, his story was catching and so very unbelievable. If she didn't know what the man was capable of, she would've called him out on a lie. Not that he had ever lied to her anyway... One thing was clear. Raymond Reddington lived one hell of an exciting life.

He switched to another story then, one where he described the beautiful scenery of Peru and told her how much she would love it there. Liz found his voice soothing, and his unique scent, somehow enveloping both her and the whole room, made it impossible to stay awake.

When she woke up the next morning, she was alone and 'his' side of the mattress was cold to the touch. She sighed and got up, going through her morning rituals as she always did before deciding to join him in the main room.

"Good morning," he greeted with a smile. "I was about to wake you. Did you sleep alright?"

He was way too cheerful in the morning. She only nodded as she walked over to the couch, flopped down and buried her face in the cushion, missing the adoring smile he gave her. She was so not a morning person.

"Maybe some coffee can make you happy." He settled down next to her and held out a steaming mug which she gladly accepted. "You should get ready," he said, eyeing the boxer shorts she wore. Were those his?

"Why? What's on the agenda?" She asked, her voice slightly rough with sleep.

"Kieko is coming over –" Liz groaned unhappily and Red reached out to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear, letting his thumb caress her cheek. "She and her brother have some groceries for us, and we're also getting a boat."

As long as that woman stays away from him, she'll be fine. "A boat?"

He nodded. "We can slouch around on the ocean, then."

"This sounds like a vacation."

"It is. For the time being. There's not much we can do right now. Mr. Kaplan, Dembe and a few of my associates are taking care of everything." A knock on the door echoed through the house and Liz stiffened slightly. "Lizzie, I promised you."

She looked up at him then, but he was already walking towards the entrance.

"Raymond!" The woman greeted, stretching his name. Jesus, how she hated her.

"Hello, Dear," Red greeted with a warm smile, but refrained from leaning in for a kiss. "Rangi, it is so good to see you." The two men hugged and Liz felt weirdly excluded. "Let me introduce you to my Lizzie." His words snapped her out of it. Yesterday he had definitely not said that. "Lizzie, this is Rangi, Kieko's brother. Rangi, this is Lizzie."

The young man stepped up to her and smiled. "Even more beautiful than Kieko say."

"That she is," Red replied, his eyes soft.

"Hi," Liz said, somewhat shy now. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." Rangi hugging her took her by surprise.

"Kieko said you would get us a boat?" Red decided to interrupt, not really liking the way his friend looked at the woman he loved.

They spent the day out at the beach. Red and Rangi built a small dock for their boat, and Kieko showed Liz which wild fruits were edible and which ones should be avoided. Liz didn't necessarily like the other woman yet, but if staying close to her meant keeping her away from Red, then she would deal with it.

At nighttime and after a wonderfully home-cooked meal by the locals, the four of them found themselves in the main room, playing poker. Red was leading by far, followed by Rangi, while Liz and Kieko were almost broke. The Concierge of Crime sure knew his game, his poker face was impeccable. Maybe strip poker would make him stumble. The thought brought a smile to her face before she caught the man in question staring at her.

"Sweetheart, your poker face is terrible."

"You don't even know without seeing my cards," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him and his eyes crinkled at the sides.

Just a couple of rounds later, Red had won the game and the locals were leaving, demanding that the two of them visit the main island soon.

"Another round?"

"I suck at poker," Liz replied.

"Yeah, you're right." He should have seen that pillow coming, but it hit him straight in the face. "A different game then? I'm not really tired yet."

"How about truth or dare?" She asked, leaning back into her seat, her eyes challenging.

"Lizzie… you know that there are certain things I can't tell you."

Even now. "Red, I'm not asking for the story of my life. We haven't even started and you're already bailing on me."

"I'm just trying to set some rules."

"And I'm trying to have some fun, to forget the drama of everything that's happening. Ah, whatever." She shook her head and made to get up.

"Fine," Red spoke hastily. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

He sat down next to her, mulling over questions in his head. "What's the worst gift you have ever received?"

Liz groaned at the thought. "The ugliest sweater one could imagine. It was a Christmas gift, made from that kind of wool that scratches your skin. It had millions of little reindeer all over it. Just looking at it would make your eyes hurt. The worst part of such a situation is when the person that gave the awful present expects you to wear it. I tried getting Hudson to tear it apart, but nope! Even he turned his nose up at it."

Red chuckled wholeheartedly, imaging Liz playing along to humor the person that found her that horrible gift.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What was your craziest pickup line?"

A smile graced his features as he looked at her. "'We're gonna make a great team.'" Liz blushed and averted her gaze for a moment.

"That's not a pickup line," she protested softly.

"I didn't say it was a good one. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Brave." She looked at him as if to say 'Did you expect anything else?' "Alright. Eat a mouthful of crackers and try to whistle."

"What?" He smugly held out a box for her. Putting some crackers into her mouth, she caught Red biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. When her mouth was full, Liz pursed her lips and started whistling. Of course there weren't any actual whistling sounds coming from her mouth, but rather millions of little cracker crumbs flying through the air. At the sight, she immediately broke into laughter which only made more crumbs shoot out. Red had to duck back from the line of fire.

He couldn't stop laughing either, but he didn't want his Lizzie to choke on the dry crumbs and handed her a napkin. She gladly accepted it and held it to her mouth. He handed her her glass then. "Are you okay?" Red asked with a laugh.

"That was mean," she said after she had taken a sip of her beverage.

"You asked for it."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Scared huh?" She nodded and then took another sip. "What kind of pajamas do you wear to bed?"

"I very much enjoy sleeping in the nude." Did she just bite her lip? "Truth or dare, Lizzie?" He asked in a low voice.

"Dare."

Here goes nothing. "Kiss me." Her breath hitched at his request and something caught fire in her lower belly. They sat in silence for a good minute, both staring at the other, until Red huffed. "Too much of a dare, huh?" He made to stand up, somewhat disappointed. He should've known better though. He had told her to re-think everything and she probably had.

Before he could move, Liz had covered the ground between them, kneeling on the cushion, gripping his face between her hands and pushing her lips against his. His hands were at his sides, unmoving, as he tried to remember what to do. Scared that he had only been joking, she pulled away and sat back. He was looking at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes hooded, switching back and forth between her lips and eyes.

His every restraint snapped, and he moved forward, taking her mouth in a passionate kiss, his arms wrapping around her as they fell to the couch, his body covering hers. Her arms and legs wrapped themselves around him, welcoming him further against her. Red moved his mouth over her cheek, her jaw and down her soft neck, licking and nibbling her delicious skin. He was an addict and she was his drug.

"Red, bed," she moaned.

Not wanting to stay apart from her for longer than needed, he pulled her up with him and patted the back of her thighs. Liz understood perfectly. She jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist and looping her arms around his neck. She found his lips with hers and put in every feeling she had bottled up in the past years.

He blindly stumbled through the house, his destination the bedroom. He had to have her and soon. It was killing him. The way she smelled, the way she tasted, there could never be anyone else. They were destined to be together.

He gently laid her in the middle of the bed, settling in between her legs and holding himself upright on his hands. She was already busy unbuttoning his shirt, thank god he had already gotten rid of his vest, jacket and tie during the evening. She needed to get him naked, and now. As soon as his chest hair was exposed, Liz ran her fingers through the soft curls, feeling him react immediately. He sighed and dropped his head, his lips attaching themselves to her neck. She moved her head to the side to give him more room, as her fingers made quick work of the remaining buttons. She was about to take the shirt off, when he stopped her, catching her hands in his and pressing them to the mattress.

"You're overdressed," he said, his voice full of lust.

"I want this shirt off," she replied. He kissed her then, trying to take her mind off things as his fingers pulled her tank top up and over her head. "Red." She tugged on his dress shirt again, but he held on tight.

"No." Gently pushing at his chest, she looked at him. "Lizzie, please." When she didn't budge, but merely looked at him, he sighed and sat up, choosing a spot at the edge of the mattress.

"Red…"

"Don't." He let his head hang, already buttoning his shirt back up.

"What are you doing?" She got up on her knees and put a hand on his back. "Red."

"Lizzie, don't make me do this."

She knew. She knew that he had been the one on the ground, the burning figure. She put her arms over his shoulder and hugged him from behind and then pressed a kiss to his head before resting her cheek on his shoulder, her head turned towards him so he could hear her better. "Our scars are life-long records of our history. There's no reason to be ashamed of the proof that you saved my life." She leaned back and placed a kiss in the middle of his back, her fingers tracing the line of his collar. "You saved me."

"Lizzie…"

"It's okay. You can trust me." He reached up to take one of her hands in his and she noticed how it shook slightly. "I love you." A shiver ran through his entire body then and he felt like he couldn't catch his breath anymore. "I love you, Raymond." His shoulders dropped and he let go of the shirt, letting her take the last piece of armor from him. At first she thought the scarred tissue was only at the top, but the more skin she discovered she began to fully understand the extent of his injuries. He had suffered. For her. She hadn't noticed that she had started crying until he reached back to grasp her hand, offering support as well as seeking it.

Liz watched a lone tear trailing down the valley of his back. "Lizzie," he whispered, the tone of his voice almost begging her to not let him suffer anymore.

She complied, but pressed a small kiss on his back as if she was kissing the pain away. Then she moved to his side, her hands never leaving him as they looked at each other. His eyes showed her just how vulnerable he really was, and it almost destroyed her. She cupped his face in her palms and swung a leg over his to straddle him. "I love you." Leaning forward she placed her lips against his, just resting against them, without any sort of pressure and Red wrapped his arms around her body to hold her to him. After a while he began pressing his lips against hers, moving them lovingly.

He pulled back and looked at her then. "You're everything to me, Lizzie."

"I know," she replied softly.

"I love you," he said, his voice shaking.

Liz blinked rapidly and bit her lip. "Show me."

He held tightly onto her as he scooted back on the bed, opting to lean against the headboard, with her still on his lap. His lips attached themselves to her beautifully pronounced clavicle while his hands ran over her back, dipping beneath the waistline of the boxer shorts she wore. He was sure now that they were his, and that only fueled his passion. Never would he be able to look at his boxers the same way again. He loved that she was so hands-on and apparently more than smitten with his chest hair, as she was, once again, running her fingers through it.

He quickly found the clasp of her bra and had no trouble opening it, letting the garment fall from her shoulders. He held her eyes, trying to make her understand that this wasn't just a physical thing between them, and that it never could be. When he slowly dropped his gaze to her chest, his pupils dilated even further and his nostrils flared. He lovingly kissed over her breasts, avoiding her taut nipples, which almost drove her crazy. Next on his agenda was getting her out of those boxer shorts without letting her leave her place on his lap. Liz couldn't hold in her laughter when she almost toppled over. Together they somehow managed to get her naked and Red ran his fingers over her skin. There could be no better time or place for this. The moon was shining through the open curtains, making her skin glow in a way that made it hard for him to breathe.

Kissing him softly, her hands made quick work of undoing his belt. She would make sure that his three-piece suits were off-limits in this house. It took way too long to undress him. Who wore suits on a deserted island anyway? When she finally had him in all his glory, Liz took a moment to run her eyes over him. He was perfect, truly perfect, and everything she wanted. His bigger-than-average ego proudly stood at attention, rock hard before she had even touched him, and she just couldn't take it any longer. Reaching between them, she took him into her hand, caressing him gently. Within seconds, she had him moaning.

"God, Lizzie…" She kissed him while his fingers clawed at her. "I love you so much." He pulled her a little further up and she positioned him underneath her before slowly easing down.

Her fingers dug into his skin as she tried to relax her inner muscles. He was touching her in place she had never been touched before and it was almost too much. She gasped at the intensity and gripped onto his arms. Red pulled her closer for a kiss, one of his hands going between their joined bodies to help her relax a little.

"Red," she moaned against him as he started to move below her.

They made slow and gentle love, almost tantric. Her forehead was resting against his, her hair framing his face like a canopy. Their bodies were fully pressed together, his chest hair tickling her breasts. His arms wrapped tightly around her as he kept telling her how beautiful she was, how much he loved her, and how incredible it felt to be inside her.

"Come for me, Lizzie. Come for me." He could feel how close she was already, with her abs quivering and her bottom lip trembling in the most adorable way.

"Red," she moaned.

"I love you, Lizzie."

"Raymond." Her whole body shuddered as she came with his name on her lips, and he had a hard time holding on. She leaned in and kissed him, her fingers running over his scalp, gasping when he began to move his hips again.

"Oh god, Lizzie… I can't… I'm gonna..."

"I want to feel you come. Please, Raymond." He moaned at her words and kept pushing into her until he came with a strangled cry. The rush of his release pushed her over the edge once more and both clung to each other as their hearts only slowly calmed. She was still sitting on his lap and he was still very much inside of her, but she didn't want to move, feeling contented for the very first time in way too long.

"Are you still with me?" He spoke softly after a while. Liz nodded, but didn't reply. Her head was resting on his shoulder, her nose buried in his neck. "Let me clean you up a little." He started moving, but Liz made a noise that told him that she wasn't pleased. "Alright, I guess we can just stay." His fingers gently stroked over her back and sides as she placed a kiss to the little scar on his neck. It was several minutes, maybe even half an hour later, when she felt him kiss her head. "Come on, you'll be all sticky, sweetheart." He carefully turned them to the side and pulled out, his eyes rolling backwards at the feeling. He still wanted her so very much. He was about to get up when she caught his arm.

"Stay."

He smiled at her, that one smile that was reserved for only her. "Since I'm rather sure you don't want to get up for a shower..." She frowned at that. "I will get a wet washcloth."

"Hurry," she mumbled.

"You won't even notice I'm gone."

True to his words, he was back within seconds and lovingly cleaning her body before wiping down himself. He threw the cloth to the floor and scooted close to her, their hips touching, now that she was lying on her stomach. He mirrored her position and they both just looked at each other.

Breaking into a big smile, Liz shuffled even closer and kissed him quickly before lying her head on his arm, nuzzling the hair there with her nose. He pressed a kiss to her head and closed his eyes, only to open them again shortly after, when he felt her fingers trace the scars on his back.

"Is this okay?" She asked softly. He swallowed at the sudden dryness in his throat, but nodded anyway. Liz pulled herself slightly up his back, resting her cheek on his shoulder blade and using her left hand to carress the marred skin.

No one had ever touched him like that. Mostly they would be disgusted by the extent of his scars, but not his Lizzie. Here she was, after they had made love, running her fingers over him like she was mapping out his back. Red could feel a warm wetness on his shoulder and knew that she was crying. He tried soothing her, telling her that it was alright, but she shook his head and kissed his shoulder blade.

"I love you, Ray."

"Come here," he said, starting to roll onto his side and lifting his arm so she would slip into his embrace and their lips and tongues met in a slow tango that neither wanted to end. "I love you, Lizzie. I love you so much. I don't think you will ever grasp just how much."

Smiling softly at him, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again. "Then I guess you'll just have to show me."

"Gladly."

"All night long."

"All night, every night," he told her and her smile widened to a grin.

"Always the overachiever." He winked at her then. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Without you getting angry." He didn't like where this was going, but he nodded anyway. "It's about Tom."

Red groaned. He did not want to even think about that man while in bed with her. "Lizzie..."

"Please, just listen." He sighed but didn't protest further. "I'm having a weird feeling about this. The way he escaped. I don't think you saved him."

"I didn't." He should have just shot that bastard when he had held a gun to Lizzie's head.

"Connolly... so he is working for the cabal now." Her mind went back to that night she had asked him for help again, trying to analyze what the man had said, what his expressions had looked like and if he had been acting strangely. "I found the USB drive!" He just looked at her. "I mean I found it and then I found it again, but in his shirt pocket." Red could feel his blood pumping through his veins as jealousy rose inside him. "When he came under deck, he looked pissed to see me at the laptop. Maybe he did try to keep me away from discovering the truth about Cooper's health..."

"You should have never been there. That was reckless. The man is dangerous." He would go on a killing spree if Tom or Jacob or whatever his name was hurt his Lizzie.

"I know," she admitted softly. "That's why I grabbed a gun as soon as he came down."

Red tightened his arms around her. "Good, but you should've shot him."

"What if we need him?"

"We don't," he growled immediately.

"But I'm the jealous one?" She asked softly, a smile gracing her face. He didn't smile back. Liz cupped his face in both palms and kissed him ever so lightly. "He and I are done. There will never be anything between us ever again. There is no he and I. I promise you that."

Red shook his head. "I don't want you to promise that."

"Why? Because you think I'll run back to him?" He didn't answer. "That's not going to happen. I let him play me for way too long already..."

He looked deeply into her eyes. "None of that was your fault. He's never done anything but lie and play a certain role. That's what he does, who he is. This isn't your fault."

She shook her head slightly and then scooted closer to tuck her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. He smelled warm and homey and... Red. "I don't even care about that. But if he's working with the cabal now, he's working with the people that are trying to kill you. And that's where he's gone wrong. I won't let that happen."

"Lizzie -"

"No, I don't want that speech again. You are worth it. Nothing can change that, so deal with it."

"I love you so much it physically hurts," he said in a strained voice.

She put a hand to his heart while her lips pursed against the skin of his neck. "In a bad way?"

"No," he replied. "In the most beautiful way."

Releasing a shuddering breath, Liz leaned back so she could look at his face. "Why has it taken us so long?"

"Lots of reasons."

"We could've been doing this for ages already."

He smiled at her words. "I was trying to protect you."

"From what?"

"Everything bad, including myself." He turned his face into the palm that was still resting against his cheek and kissed the scarred flesh there.

"Stop saying that. You're not bad."

"Lizzie," he smiled. "We both know I'm a monster."

Her heart constricted as she remembered all the times she had said that to him. "I was angry and stupid. I was trying so hard to understand what you wanted with me that I got frustrated, and I took it out on you. You're a kind man with a good heart, and I'm sorry for refusing to see that before."

Her words seemed to heal some of his inner scars. "It doesn't matter how we got here. You're mine now."

"Yours."