A/N: Liz thinks that she'll get the opportunity to rub herself all over Red like a cat, but he has other plans. Kind of a filler chapter until we get to the good stuff.

Chapter 5

The following morning, she met Red downstairs for breakfast.

He smiled, said "Good morning, Lizzie." gestured to the stack of French toast and bacon in the middle of the table, and went right back to reading the paper in front of him.

After a few moments, he said "We'll need to work on a few things this morning-Basic sparring and self-defense. Before you object, I know you went through the standard cookie cutter classes that all FBI agents go through. This is different, better. I can give you some pointers that will maim and incapacitate with very little effort or strength. You will have the confidence that comes with knowing that you could kill a man with your bare hands. That kind of ferocity can't be faked, at least not well."

The fact that he was willing to get close enough to spar with her was an absolute win in her book. He might be approaching it as entirely business, but she was going to use it as an opportunity. Her mind was awash with all of the images provoked by thinking of rubbing her body against his.

"Ok, what else is on the agenda for today?"

He still hadn't looked at her "We can take a trip into town if you feel up to it. Some of your wardrobe is ready for you. Then afterwards, we will go over a meeting that we must attend later this week. I will go over every scrap of information I have and you will know exactly what I know. We will then begin working on how not to think like a cop."

This was entirely different from what she imagined. Red looked all kinds of hot in a pair of Adidas jogging pants and a black t-shirt, but even the stellar eye candy wasn't enough to make up for the beating she was taking.

She thought that Red would be holding on to her, trying to teach her how to break holds, not knocking her on her ass every minute and a half. "What the hell, Red? I thought you were going to teach me something."

He smirked "Have I taken you down the same way more than once?" Oh. "No"

"Well I guess you're learning at least a little, hmm?"

He used that opportunity to take a drink and wipe the sweat from his face and neck.

All too soon, he moved into a defensive position and quirked a brow at her. Waiting for her to attack. When she didn't, he straightened and sighed. "These people you will come into contact with are going to be dirty, gutter fighters that have no formal training of self-defense. You need to be willing to harm, not just subdue your opponent. If someone has ahold of you, the goal of these exercises, is to ensure that you don't stay there long. You aren't a killer, Lizzie, but you certainly will never be a victim"

She looked at him with sadness "I am a killer Red. First my father, and then Tom Connelly."

He shook his head "With your biological father, he needed killing, with Connelly, I'm sure that he gave you very valid reasons for shooting him."

"You," she whispered "My reason was you. He threatened you with the death penalty. I couldn't stand the thought…until he threatened you, I was just pissed that he had all of his bases covered. Thinking of you, and not being able to see you...was too much. He was a man that needed killing."

The turn of their conversation hit too close to home for Red. That she would kill to protect him was testament that she was too deep in this. He knew the measures that he was willing to take, but his chest ached for him to think that she may not be able to escape it either.

If they continued along the lines of that conversation much longer, he was going to take her to the floor and show her just how deep in this, in her, he really was.

So he changed the subject. "These people will test you at first. If I move to protect you, it will make you look weak. Now, let it just be said that I will slaughter an entire room full of people if it looks like you are actually in trouble, but you are strong Lizzie. Strong enough to clean a few thug's clocks and teach them the time of day."

She was so sore, she wanted to die. That must have been Red's plan the entire time. To work with her until she no longer thought of wanting him.

She snorted to herself. As if that would ever happen. She still wanted him, she just had no energy to do anything about it at the moment.

They had worked nearly the entire day. He repeatedly asked her if she wanted to stop, but she had to prove to him that she was competent, a worthy partner.

They had been enjoying a quiet dinner of Teriyaki Chicken and rice, when Red quizzed her on other aspects of fighting that they had went over after their sparring.

"If someone threatens you, what do you do?"

"Distract them. Keep them talking."

"Do you pull your gun?"

"No, the presence of a gun gives no room for anything but escalation."

"Where do you strike first?"

"'Eyes"

"Why?"

"Not having vision scares even the most experienced of fighters."

"Where do you hit next?"

"The knee."

"That seems like a bony area, why the knee and not a soft tissue area like the neck?"

"Soft tissue spots have too large of a margin of error. If you miss, you'll be in close enough proximity to be over-powered. The knee shatters from the front with only twelve pounds of pressure, totally disabling my opponent."

"What if they aren't facing the right way for a knee shot?"

"I pull my knife and stab. Blood equals power. They lose blood, they slowly, or quickly, depending on the area hit, lose all power."

He grinned at her "That's my girl."

Her answering grin twisted his stomach into equal knots of lust and regret.

Red showered and changed for the evening, hating himself almost as much as he loved her. He hated that he needed to teach Lizzie the seedy underbelly of his world. The entirety of his goals to date had been to shield her from exposure. This situation with the Cabal and the entire US Government gunning for Lizzie changed everything. He had to protect her at all costs, and the very root of that was to help her protect herself.

She was magnificent, countering his moves at every turn. She was such a quick study that it wouldn't be long before she was kicking his ass. She was already a competent fighter when they started, but she had blossomed in her determination to best him. She impressed him to no end. Every time she thought she was going to beat him, she had this sparkle in her eyes. He fought to keep his arousal at bay from the very start, but that look made him think of the expression she would make while riding out her orgasm on top of him.

A/N: Let me know what you think. I feel like this wasn't so great, but it was needed before we get to some action and maybe a kiss. Maybe.