UNCONDITIONAL LOVE2
Disclaimer: sadly enough they are not mine…..But I own my coffee….LOL.
A/N: TODA for taking the time to read this. And this is dedicated to my pen friend RU12…
Six and a half year later:
She was placing the last items a box when she came across a photo frame with a picture of her and the man that had started all this almost eight years ago. She sat down looking at the picture it had been taken by accident at a crime scene seven years ago. They were both sitting on a SUV coffee in hand chatting: He was as always in one of his three pieced suits, sunglasses and had an amused look on his face. She was dressed in her usual FBI attire she had stolen his fedora and had it on her head while she smiled at him….She signed she had missed him these past six and a half years, she missed how everyone seemed to respect yet to be afraid of him, she missed how he could come up with a inappropriate funny comment at the wrong time all in all she missed him and working with him. It was odd how most of her colleagues would not say a bad word about him in her presence or how they respected her more. She gave the picture one more look and placed it in the box.
The next picture was from Aram's and Meera's wedding they had both big happy smiles on their faces, she put it in the box fast while she moved over to the next she was about to put it also in the box when she realized it was the one from her sons fifth birthday. Little Ray Red Reddington had inherited his grandfathers water green eyes and mocking smile, he had everyone around his little finger and she was sure that he would be a absolute heart breaker one day. He was also very intelligent and had street smarts she was sure that also came from her dad because neither she or her ex-husband had them. She remembered once not to long ago that she had left him in the ¨¨very capable¨¨ hands of Uncle Donald as Ray called him and not Uncle Don as Ressler half begged him to do. She had left him for about 20 minutes because she needed to hand the director a report and when she came back , she found her five year old son glaring at Ressler arms crossed telling him he had told a lei and when Ressler asked him how he was so sure about it he simply told him that he had blinked and looked to the left after that he turned around and asked her if they could go home. That day they had left a gapping Ressler a laughing Aram and a shocked Meera behind. She could only smile at the memory she was taken out of her thoughts by the director's voice:
"His grandfather would have been very proud of him and how clever he is."If you only knew were her thoughts while she turned around smiling before answering.
"Yeah I'm sure that he is laughing and bluffing about superior genetics somewhere." This caused the director to smile.
"How is the little man doing by the way?"
"He is doing great. Right now he is spending time with his adoptive Saba." She answered making sure that the word adoptive was heard.
"Are you sure you can trust that guy?...Not that I think you would leave your son with just anyone but I don't like that guy."
"Yes director I trust Ishmael he was one of my father's best friends and would protect Ray with his live." She looked the director right in the eye while she told him this. She still remembered the day the director had met her `fathers friend` it was at a party in her new house a few years back a lot of agents were there and none recognized Ishmael Ben-Moshe. It's really surprising what a little bit plastic surgery, hair color, different clothes, another name and actuation could do.
"OK….So there is no way to make you stay?"He asked.
"No sir. My time here has come to it's end now that my goal is complied."
"Really ? You can even have Ressler's job?"
"It's still the same sir. We had a deal Dembe and I would help you with the rest of the blacklisters and after that our ways would separate."
"I remember that conversation agent Reddington but I had to try. Well if this is it here." He said giving her a document.
"What is this sir?" She asked confused.
"That is an early retirement for you Agent Reddington the only thing you need to do is sing it."
"Thank you, sir."
"There is no need for that. It's the last I could offer you and your death father in return for everything you both have done for our country. I tried this to be a public apology and taking your fathers name of the most hated people list as he has called it more than once, but the government would never confess that they sold one of their own agents to a dugs dealer causing him to abandon his family and take the other side…" She could hear the bitterness in the directors voice she knew since short just like the rest of the FBI what really happened to her father and could still remember the directors intentions to make it public, but as a lot of things it had been classified.
"Any way it was a pleasure to work with you Liz." He said turning around leaving her office.
After her somewhat weird conversation with the director she ended packing leaving only one thing in her office it was a picture they had taken after they had cached the twentieth blacklister, it was from the original blacksite team ( Ressler, Meera, Aram, Director Cooper, Dembe, Red and Liz) they were all tired but had happy smiles on their faces and where celebrating no less. No one would guess looking at that picture that they were just a bunch of people thrown together like ingredients in the hope that the dish would be eatable. When she was closing her door she could feel how the box was lifted from under her arm.
"Let me take this."
"Thank you Aram." Was all she said smiling warmly at one of her surrogate brothers.
"Yes, yes. You just go and say bye to Ressler while I wait for you by the lift."
"You are an angel." She told him kissing his cheek.
"I know." Came his replay as she walked away shaking her head.
As she approached Ressler's office she saw that the door was open and she leaned against the door frame observing him work.
"Hey." He greeted her looking up.
"Hi."
"So you are leaving." It wasn't a question.
"Yes, I am." At this he stood up walked to her and opened his arms, she took the silent invitation and hugged him.
"Thanks." She whispered to him.
"Where for? He whispered back.
"For helping me with you-know-who…."
"Nah you should not be thanking me for that, he would have done the same for any of us and you both deserved that second chance….beside we were lucky that that House guy was close and had no problem with what we did."
"Like he could have a problem with it as far as I know he is also death…but thanks anyway."
"Your welcome Liz."
"Liz?"
"Mhhm?"
"Why are we whispering?" at this they chuckled and separated.
"I don't know but it's getting late and I have to go…see you this weekend?"
"Yes you will…tell the bastard that he could at last wait for me before he puts the meat one the fire this time. It's no fun to get there and find everyone eating.
"You are aware of the fact that you were two hours late not? By the way when are we gone meat that new woman in your live?" She told him teasing him.
"That's no excuse. Probably never….and I have work to do so shu shu."
And with that he shove her out of his office closing the door behind her. She made her way to the lift where she found Aram waiting for her, he walked her to her car placed the box inside for her hugged her and promised her that he and Meera would be attending the weekly family BBQ as they had started to call it.
On her way home she thought about everything that had happened in the last years and found herself silently thanking the shooter that tried to kill her if it wasn't for him her dad would not have gotten the second chance he deserved.
When she got home it was already past Ray's bedtime, she decided to leave the boxes in the car they would take care of that the next day. When she opened her frond door the house was silent to silent for her liking. Entering her living room she could not help but smile….her living room looked like a war zone and in the middle of all there was a homemade tent made from six chairs as walls, a big blanked as roof and a inflatable mattress with both her boys fast asleep on it. Her dad might have missed things in her childhood but he wasn't missing anything from Ray's he spoiled him rotten. And Ray had his Saba some were in the sky and would do anything he was told without questions. They looked so peace full, but Liz knew that even if Ray could sleep there the whole night and be just fine, Red could not or his back would kill him in the morning.
"Dad." She called him shaking his shoulder.
"mhhm." Came the sleepy replay.
"Dad wake up."
"n't ant u." His replay was not understandable because he was trying to hide in his pillow.
"In English please." She ordered amussed.
"Don' .To."
"I know but you have to."
"You are right dear." He said getting up and yawning not opening his eyes.
He walked to her eyes still closed hugged her and kissed her head, she rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment. It was really surprising how save she felt in his arms and how much love he had bottled up inside. His hand was rubbing circles on her back erasing the tension from the day.
"Tea?" He asked as they pulled away opening one eye.
"Yeah."
They moved to the kitchen and he made tea for both of them after that he sat down next to her and she asked him about his day with Ray. At this him eyes lifted up and he started telling him all the things they had done, but she wasn't listening lost in thought until…she felt a hand on her forehead and heard him ask her something.
"Pardon?" She asked.
"I asked you if you were feeling alright sweetheart?" She saw that the concern in his eyes matched the one she heard in his voice.
"Yes…I was just thinking…" At this he crouched in front of her taking both her hands in his kissing each before asking.
"A million for you thoughts?" This made her smile he always knew what to say and when to say it.
"I just wonder why?" she said looking looking at the living room.
"I wish I knew the answer to that question but I don't because I wonder the same. And it isn't a simple one. " He told her rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs.
" Why isn't it simple? Why doesn't he want to know his son? Why could you keep loving me all these years and he can't even love his son a bit?" she asked him crying. He pulled her in his arms and caressed her hair while he answered.
"Because and just because. I can't answer you that question dear because as I said I can't understand it it's not like Ray asked to be born or something like that. The only thing I can tell you is that fathering a child and being a father are two different things….I'm your father and that is why, as you self have experienced already with Ray the love that a parent feels for his child is the strongest one that exists. It has no but's or if's it's just the way it is. Time and space doesn't matter nor does the age of said child. A parent would give his live for his child in a eye blink it also doesn't matter if the child knows who he is or not because…"
" A parents love is an unconditional love." She finished for him. It wasn't the first time they had this conversation and she was sure it wasn't the last. It still hurted to remember how Tom had left her the morning of the shooting leaving her a note telling her that he didn't love her anymore and that he wanted a divorce it hurted more as she remembered telling him she was pregnant two weeks later and him telling her it wasn't his problem….But she had with the help of her strange family and her father, her rock found a way out of the situation and even if it still hurted sometimes she knew everything was the way it had to be.
"Yes dear it is an unconditional love."
A/N:Like it? dislike it?...just tell me. Sequel?...Any way hope you enjoyed it…
Saba is grandpa.