Disclaimer: see chapter 1

Chapter 2

Lizzie woke up and stretched her arms out, still looking a bit sleepy. She sighed happily as she felt an arm tighten around her waist as Tom pulled her closer to him. She glanced over her shoulder at his peaceful face, her face slowly slipping into a smile. Recalling the somewhat blurry events of the previous night, she remembered Tom regretting his decision to spend some time apart. After his arrival at the teachers' conference in Orlando, he had realized their separation was a mistake so he had taken the 'Red-Eye' home. Lizzie remembered how they had talked until Tom had taken her hands in his, leading her upstairs. What had happened there made her blush even now. Never had they made love so utterly…so completely. Even now, Lizzie wondered if it all had been a dream but she knew better when Tom's hand accidently brushed her nipples, hardening them instantly. She nestled in his arms and felt the hardness of his morning erection.

'Morning,' Tom whispered softly. 'I'm glad things are back to normal between us!'

'Me too,' Lizzie whispered back.

She felt Tom's lips scattering soft kisses over her bare back and shoulders and moaned softly as she felt his hand run softly over her breasts, cupping and kneading them gently. The sun broke in through the blinds, casting a soft orange glow over their bedroom.

'Tom?' Lizzie whispered.

'Yes?'

'I love you.'

'Mmm'.

Lizzie gasped as Tom rolled her onto her back, nudging her legs apart and slowly pushing into her warm, moist depths.

'Ahhh…yes!' Lizzie moaned breathlessly.

Tom groaned, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he kept thrusting slowly into her.

'Mmm…faster,' Lizzie pleaded slightly out of breath.

'I'm with you Liz...come with me!'

Lizzie whimpered softly as she felt the tremors of a rising climax shuddering through her body. Tom moaned into her ear as they finally peaked together. Later, they lay entwined as they watched the sun climb higher in the sky.

'We still need to talk,' Lizzie said softly.

'Yeah later…let's just enjoy this moment together,' Tom whispered into her hair.

Finally, getting out of bed, Lizzie looked back down on Tom, 'I'm glad you're home.'

'Me too,' Tom smiled.

…

Fresh from her morning shower, Lizzy stepped back into the bedroom. Tom had fallen back asleep and she watched him for a moment when she heard the phone rang in the living room. She grabbed her clothes and tiptoed out of the room, hurrying downstairs.

'Hello?'

'Lizzie!' The sound of Red's familiar voice rang into Lizzie's ears.

'Red…?'

'We need to talk Lizzie. Can we meet?'

'Er…'

'It's urgent Lizzie. I'll come and get you. We'll go for a drive and find somewhere quiet to talk. Be there in ten…beep…beep…beep…'

Lizzie rolled her eyes and put down the phone. Red had never given her a chance to decline. Whatever…he wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. Lizzie quickly got dressed, wrote a note for Tom and left the house. Her attempt to hide her sleep deprived eyes had been a task too much for her make up skills so she wore sunglasses.

Dembé had parked Red's Jag around the corner and in the back, Red patiently waited for Lizzie. He sighted her almost immediately as she rounded the corner and was once again struck at how vulnerable and young she looked; vulnerable but headstrong. Remorse and regret was hardly in Red's nature but a clamp tightened around his heart regretting the pain he was about to cause her.

Jumping out of the Jag, Dembé rushed around to open the car door for Lizzie. She got in and Dembé began to drive. For a while, they drove without speaking; Lizzie and Red each lost in thought but still acutely aware of the presence of the other. Arriving at Dupont Park, Dembé pulled off the road, parking under the shady bows of a Norfolk pine overlooking the Anacostia river.

Red and Lizzie got out of the car and walked down a dirt road, when Red suddenly turned towards her.

'…I fear for your life Lizzie'

Elizabeth swallowed hard as Red's warm concerned voice enveloped her and she looked at him, almost unable to hide the uneasy feeling that suddenly gripped her.

'Who would harm me…I'm nobody?'

Red shook his head and stared at her, narrowing his eyes and Lizzie felt a new kind of unease under his screen scrutiny.

'Where is your husband Lizzie?'

Lizzie stiffened, realizing Red referred to Tom, being the threat to her life.

'Don't go there…please don't!' She tried to brush past Reddington, but his large hand clamped onto her arm, holding her fast. Lizzie's temper spiked. 'Let go of me!'

Red let go but watched her, his expression intent.

'Lizzie, I just wanna keep you safe!' Red said fiercely. Elizabeth turned to walk away but Red caught hold of her wrist and held it in a vicelike grip. Elizabeth stared at Red, shocked at the angry look radiating from his steel blue eyes.

'Listen to me…your husband is dangerous!'

'GO TO HELL!'

Lizzie pulled her arm away from Red's grip and started walking back to the road. Dembé started the engine and Red clenched his teeth harder, then harder, so hard that it felt they might shatter. Lizzie walked past the Jag so Red called out her name.

'LIZZIE?'

'Don't bother…I'm taking a cab!'

For a while, Red stood under the pine tree, slouched slightly forward and saying nothing. Eventually Dembé got out of the car. He opened the back door of the car and stood there, waiting for Red to get in.

…

Lizzie had taken a cab back home to get dressed for work. Arriving at Cooper's office, she took a deep breath before entering. The office was dimly lit, illuminated only by the sun that shone in through the blinds. Her eyes quickly scanned the room but she could feel Red's presence before she had actually laid eyes on him. As usual, he was watching her and for several moments, they simply looked at each other but then his face broke into a smile.

'Hello Lizzie!'

'You were telling Reddington…the next name on the Blacklist?' Harold Cooper said impatiently.

'Ah…yes,' Red said, '…Valentin Smirkov…very dangerous, very deadly!'

'Never heard of him,' Ressler said, while slightly hunching his shoulders.

'That doesn't mean, he doesn't exist, agent Ressler,' Red said amusingly. 'Valentin Smirkov is primarily responsible for intelligence and terrorist actions inside our borders…and today we have a chance of catching him!'

Harold Cooper shifted in his seat and picked up his phone, 'We face a domestic threat today. I want a surveillance team ready by the gate in an hour!'

Red nodded and motioned everyone to gather around Coopers' desk. He pulled a thick plastic file from the briefcase Dembé was holding and flipped it open, pulling out a number of maps, papers and photographs. Over the next hour, Red explained how to identify Smirkov and capturing methods.

Cooper nodded, 'All means at our disposal will be used to neutralize this thread permanently! Ressler, Malik, you are Alpha team. You will serve as on-the-ground eyes and ears for this operation. Omaha team, you will implement Keen and Reddington! Aram, you and the remaining team here support them. You keep track of the operation and report back to me. Is everyone clear on their mission?

'Yes Sir.'

…

To be continued...