Chapter 3

Marie had fallen asleep in Red's arms on the drive back to Liz's house. Red held tightly onto her and Liz's hand, almost as if he were afraid they would both disappear if he blinked. Dembe pulled the car to a stop and came around to open the door for Red, preventing him from having to relinquish his hold on his daughter. Red followed Liz up the front stairs and into the house, stopping only to slip their shoes off before she led him to Marie's room. Red waved off Liz's offer to help as he gently pulled her coat and boots off and tucked their child into her bed. Leaning down, Red placed a gentle kiss to his daughters' forehead before backing out of the room and closing the door.

Red walked down the hallway looking for Liz. He found her in her bedroom, standing at the window looking out into nothing, her arms wrapped around herself. Red closed the door behind him as he stepped into the room, stripping off his over coat and suit jacket. Liz didn't move as she heard the rustling of clothes. She was almost scared to turn around and not find him there, that this had all been a dream that she thought of as she stood at the window. She heard the soft brush of his sock clad feet against the carpet and knew he was standing a couple feet from her.

"Lizzie." He said quietly, as if trying to avoid scaring her. Slowly she turned to face him, not bothering to try to conceal the tears that had started to fall. He closed the distance between them in two strides, bringing his hands up to hold her face and wipe the tears away with his thumbs.

"Oh Lizzie, I'm so so sorry. I'm sorry about all of this…about everything you went through. All the pain you felt. I just…I just needed you and our little girl to be safe. Believe me when I tell you that I thought of you both every day, missed you both incredibly every day, and told you both how much I loved you, every day. Even if you couldn't hear it." He intoned quietly, his own tears now fell down his face. Liz unwrapped her arms from around herself and quickly reached for Red, pulling his body completely against hers and pressing their foreheads together.

"Please Red…please tell me you won't be leaving us again. I couldn't take it, and it would break Marie. Please don't leave us." She cried freely now, truly afraid she'd lose him again so soon after having just gotten him back.

"Oh Lizzie. I'm not going anywhere ever again. Not unless the two of you are with me. That is of course, if you'll have me. It would be foolish of me to think that you waited for me in all this time. And I wouldn't blame you if you had moved on and found…" Liz placed a finger on his lips, shutting him up.

"Stop. Don't even think about completing that sentence Raymond Reddington. There hasn't been anyone since you, and there will never be any man but you. When I told you I loved you, I meant it. Forever. I love you Raymond, and there is no other man for me. Even in death, you will always be my one and only. Dembe did a fantastic job of stepping in as a father figure for Marie, but now that you are back with us, you can take that roll over." She said sweetly, her excitement shining through her eyes. Quickly though, a shadow of doubt crosses over her which worried Red.

"Unless of course you yourself have someone else. I know three years is a long time to go without…well you know. So I…I'd understand if in that time you meet another woman and…" Red silenced her with his mouth, thrusting his tongue into her mouth wrapping around hers. He pulled back after a few seconds.

"Absolutely not Lizzie. There was never and there will never be anyone else for me. You're it. I meant it when I told you that I loved you. Forever." He repeated back to her. "Since the day I died, I was never with another woman. I promise you that. I was and will always be faithful to you my love." He whispered against her lips, his eyes piercing hers, willing her to believe him.

"I love you Red." She said before pulling him back in for a fierce kiss. She took his breath away, both literally and figuratively and he had to pull back when his body screamed for oxygen. He looked at her and cocked an eyebrow at her confused look.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours sweetheart?"

"What about your business?" She asked. "As much as I love you Red, I won't have Marie become a target for whoever may want you dead. I won't have our daughter exposed in any way to your illegal dealings."

"That won't happen because I no longer have a business…well an illegal one that is." Her brow furrowed more causing him to laugh. "I sold it. All of it. I cut all ties, collected on and paid off all debts. Settled all my scores. I'm officially out of the game and am a free man, I paid a visit to Cooper a month ago. I gave him the last names on the Blacklist and told him exactly how to take each of them down. He granted me full pardon and even managed a clean record. So I am quite literally a free man." He told her with a large smile on his face.

Liz couldn't help the huge smile that broke out on her face at the news. Red was just about to say something else but stopped when he registered a familiar scent. He sniffed a few times, turning his head to figure out where it was coming from. He was so caught up in trying to locate the source that he missed the sly look on Liz's face. Turning his face toward the bed, he took another deep inhalation, he closed his eyes trying to focus on scent. He inhaled one more time and he realized what it was. His eyes snapped open and he turned his head back to look at Liz.

"Is that…?" He trailed off.

"Yes it is." Liz told him, walking him over to his side of the bed. She picked up his pillow and passes it to him. He looks down at the pillow and fresh tears prickle his eyes. His pillow was encased in the t-shirt he wore to bed the last night they slept together before he was "killed". He brought the pillow up to his nose and took in a deep breath, it smelled like his aftershave, a smell Liz admitted to absolutely loving on him.

"How?" He whispered quietly.

"Dembe told me you had it custom made, so he helped me procure your aftershave. But you also left your pajamas at my old apartment, and I couldn't bring myself to get rid of any of your stuff. I actually still have all the clothes and accessories you left at my old place here with me." Looking down at her shuffling feet, Red smiled at the blush that started to rise on her cheeks. "And the bathroom is made up the exact same way as my old one. Your toothbrush is still in the holder, your straight razor shaving kit is on your side of the sink, and your shampoo and body wash is in the shower…" She said getting quieter and quieter as she tells him this, embarrassment showing in her features. All Red could feel right now was an all-encompassing love and warmth for the woman standing in front of him.

"Oh my sweet Lizzie." He said as he put the pillow back down and pulled her into him. "I missed you so much. So much. And I'm never letting you go again." He bent down and captured her lips in a deep, passionate kiss that made her entire body tingle.

"I love you." He spoke to her, dropping soft kisses on her neck.

"I love you too." She answered, her eyes closing gently. "God that feels good." They took their time undressing each other, they had three years to make up for and they would be damned if they rushed this. When skin met skin they both emitted a pleasurable moan as they fell onto the bed. Red rolled them over, settling between her legs.

"I need you Lizzie, I need you now and forever. For the rest of our lives." He murmured, sliding deep inside her. They moved in tandem, even after three years they remembered what the other liked. Where to touch and kiss. They were so close to mutual completion, overwhelmed by their intense emotions and acute senses. Liz couldn't keep her eyes closed.

"Sweetheart…look at me." He whispered, he wanted to watch her as she was consumed by pleasure. Her eyes opened and tried to focus on him. Red smiled at her, stroking her cheek gently with his thumb. "I love you so much Elizabeth." He smiled as he felt her tremble beneath him. He slipped his hand hers, lacing their fingers. "Let go, baby, I'm right there with you."

Her hand gripped his tightly as her orgasm ripped through her, his name tumbling from her lips. He buried his face in her neck groaning as he followed her over the edge. As the came down from their high Red placed loving kisses around Liz's face and smiled when her eyes fluttered open. The depth of love he had for this woman was mirrored in her eyes and made Red think of only one thing. Home.

"Don't move yet." Liz whispered, as he went to roll off her.

He gave a small chuckle. "I'm too heavy sweetheart. I'll crush you."

She shook her head and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I like you being this close. I need you to be this close Red."

He sighed and sagged against her, putting most of his weight on his forearms. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of her nails gently raking over his skull. After a few more moments, he gently rolled them to their sides, softly caressing her face with his knuckles. Liz's right hand carded through his chest hair, loving the coarse feel beneath her palm. Leaning down Red placed a lingering kiss to her lips, pressing just a little bit harder before pulling back and dragging her body completely up against his own. The breath of a distance between them was too much for him at the moment. He needed her so much is scared him. How he survived three years without her he'll never know, but that's not something that will ever happen again. He felt Liz's breathing start to even out, as she started to drift off in his warm embrace. Before he did so himself, he slowly extricated his body from hers and brought the blankets up around her body. Rolling off the bed, Red grabbed his discarded boxers and slipped them on. He gave Liz a lopsided smile before quietly moving to the door.

"Where are you going?" She asked sleepily, snuggling into his pillow.

"I want to check on Marie."

Liz let out a chuckle. "Already overprotective."

Red returned the laugh and headed down the hall. He slowly entered his daughter's room, his heart swelling at the sight of his baby girl sleeping peacefully. Quietly he walked across the threshold, pulling her tiger blanket up to her shoulders and dropped a soft kiss to her head.

"I love you so much my girl. I promise you I won't ever leave again." Placing one last kiss in the same spot as the other, Red straightened up and left as quietly as he came.

Making his way back to Liz's bedroom, he pushed the door open and was momentarily disappointed when he didn't see Liz's naked form lying in bed. He was about to call out her name when she appeared in the bathroom doorway clad only in his dress shirt. Without words Red walked over to his side of the bed and flicked on the nightstand light. He bent down to grab his discarded suit jacket and dug around in the inside breast pocket, pulling out a velvet box. He heard Lizzie walk up behind him and couldn't quash the soft moan from escaping his lips as her fingers ran up, down and around his scarred back. He slowly turned to face her, immediately connecting with her love filled eyes.

"I've been carrying this around for three years, five months, two weeks and three days." He spoke, taking one of her hands in his before dropping to one knee in front of her. "I know this isn't the most romantic proposal, and if that is what you want, then I can certainly do this again in the near future, but I cannot wait another second to ask for your hand in marriage. I need you Elizabeth. More than I need my next breath. You have blessed me with a second chance at being a husband and a father, and I cannot thank you enough for that. When I walked into your life six years ago, I never in my wildest dreams imagined us ever getting to this point. I knew how I felt about you, but I never dared to hope my feelings would be returned. I love you Lizzie. So much. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Be by my side until the end of time." He finished, his hands shaking slightly as he held the now open box up to her in an offering. A lifelong promise. New tears run down Liz's face as she dropped to her knees in front of him her eyes locked with his.

"Oh yes Raymond...oh yes oh yes." She answered him leaning forward to kiss him deeply. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. The box falling to the floor in an unheard thud. He reached for the ring and slid it onto her finger, bringing her hand up, he placed a warm kiss to the underside of the ring, as if trying to meld the ring into her body so it's a permanent fixture.

"I love you Raymond Reddington" Liz whispered, her eyes soft and shining with love.

"I love you more Elizabeth Reddington…or well, soon to be Elizabeth Reddington."

The End