Disclaimer: Jon Bokenkamp & NBC; all rights reserved . This fanfic is a work of fiction. It details my own imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental.

Chapter 8

Waking up the next morning, Lizzie yawned, stretching out sleepily. She tensed as her foot touched something warm, immediately realizing that 'something warm' was Red. He shifted beside her, an arm snaking slowly around her waist as he pulled her tightly against his chest, his sleepy, sensual voice whispering, 'Morning!'

A shiver went up Lizzie's spine as he trailed wet kisses up her neck to whisper in her ear, 'Did you sleep OK?' Her lips curled up in a smile, 'Yes, I did. Very well…Thank you.'

'No regrets about last night?'

Lizzie rolled onto her back to look at him. She adamantly shook her head as she snaked her arms around his neck, 'None whatsoever!'

'Good!' Red whispered. He kept Lizzie's gaze as his mouth slowly descended down on hers.

After hours of passionate lovemaking, Lizzie propped her chin upon Red's chest, looking up at him. He was lying on his back, one hand behind his head and one hand by his side. His breathing was still laboured and sweat was beading his forehead. Slowly, Lizzie raised her hand to touch the small scar in his neck where she'd once stuck him with a pen. Red had his eyes closed and his long lashes cast fine shadows against the curve of his cheekbones. His mouth curled into an amusing smile as if he sensed Lizzie was secretly watching him.

'Red…can I ask you a question?' Lizzie asked hesitantly.

'Sure, sweetheart. What's on your mind?'

'What was she like‒ my sister, I mean?'

Lizzie's question had a casual tone but Red tightly clenched his jaw. Unfortunately, it did nothing to the intense pain he suddenly felt; a familiar pain that was nestled deeply in his gut.

'Katherine was my…everything!' he mumbled after a while.

Lizzie nodded and after a moment, she asked, 'Is she buried somewhere? Can I visit her grave, maybe lay some roses?...Red ones,' she added with a smile.

'She was cremated,' Red said bluntly, '…together with our…!' He made a strange sound deep in his throat. Red's sorrow for the loss of his wife and daughter was buried deeply within but Lizzie could still sense how much it affected him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him tightly against her, 'I'm sorry…I didn't mean to‒'

'Lizzie, listen to me,' Red suddenly said, drawing back from her embrace until he could see her eyes, 'The loss of Katherine and my daughter nearly destroyed me…and I never thought anything could fill the void in my heart caused by their deaths…but then I found my way to you!' Red's voice was barely a whisper. Lizzie raised her hand to Red's face, gently wiping away a stray tear from his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, clamping his eyes shut. I can never lose you too,' he thought as he held on to her.

'Don't ever leave me,' he whispered his voice raw with emotion.

Lizzie lovingly stroked Red's scared back, 'I won't!'

'I love you!'

The words were almost like a breath in Lizzie's ear but she'd heard them clearly. Her body quivered in response and she closed her eyes.

'You don't have to say it back,' Red said softly after a while. 'I know I can be a bit…overwhelming!'

'For always…?' Lizzie murmured.

Red's head shot up.

'Because I love you too Red…forever!' She added.

Red gripped Lizzie's face in both hands and held her away from him, trying with his eyes to tell her how he felt but couldn't find the words instead, he leaned down and tenderly kissed her.

Red carried two mugs of steaming coffee up the stairway to the deck to find Lizzie lost in thought at the helm. Halting, he amusingly watched her.

'You're deeply lost in thought,' he smiled.

'Mmm…yes,' Lizzie's cheeks flushed and she looked slightly embarrassed.

'So, what were you thinking off?' Red asked, his mouth curling up in a mischievous smile. 'This?' He put down the mugs and pulled Lizzie into his arms.

'In fact, I was,' Lizzie said with a twinkle in her eyes, 'I love making love to you.'

She tilted her head to look at him. Red smiled and cupped her face gently in his palms, stroking his thumbs over her rosy cheeks, 'I love making love to you too!' Red's grin was irresistible as he gallantly gestured for her to go below deck but then the distinctive sound of the yacht's satellite phone rang down below. The sat phone had been a concession to Dembé, who had urged him to take the damn thing with him.

'Excuse me?'

Red hurried down below deck, scowling at the small screen as he realized it wasn't even Dembé on the other line. He picked up and held the receiver to his ear.

‒…‒

'Raymond…is that you?'

Red closed his eyes and exhaled. 'Mr. Kaplan. What can I do for you?'

Mr. Kaplan was considered a close friend and probably the only person – next to Dembé – who could call him.

'It's not good news,' Mr. Kaplan said and now Red noticed the tremor in her voice. When she spoke again, she sounded worried, 'You have to come back Red. I…We need you here!'

Red frowned, 'What's going on Kate?'

'Dembé's in the hospital. He's been shot!'

Red's surroundings were completely forgotten and all of his attention was now focused to the connection to Mr. Kaplan.

'Kate…is he gonna be OK?'

'I dunno. Look, I have to go now. The doctor wants to talk. Just get back here Red!'

'What happened? Who shot him? Kate‒?'

But the line was dead…

Red climbed back on deck, his face set into a worried frown. Lizzie, immediately sensing his mood change hurried to him, looking up into his eyes, 'What is it?' she softly asked.

'It's Dembé! They shot him!' Red said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. Lizzie stared at him blankly, 'What…but how?'

'I don't know anything, 'Red sighed, 'Mr. Kaplan just called. We have to get back to Washington…now!' Lizzie nodded in agreement.

Lizzie came out of the yacht's cabin and up on the deck. For a moment, she stood still, letting her body adjust to the rocking motion and the change in temperature. She'd slept deeply and the cool, salty air and wind upon deck quickly woke her. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the night, she could see Red clearly outlined in the moonlight at the helm.

He hadn't noticed her and tensed as she softly touched his shoulder. He had been sailing for 12 hours straight and the sleep deprivation was getting to him.

'You have to get some sleep Red!'

Red sighed and rubbed his eyes but did not protest when Lizzie took the wheel from his hands.

'You sure you can manage?' He asked. Lizzie nodded and Red showed her the course they were on.

'I've got it!' Lizzie nodded confidently. Red nodded but instead of going down below deck, he slowly walked up to the bow of the yacht where the rocking motion and wind both increased rapidly. Grabbing the railing on both sides, he tilted his head backwards. Salt spray from the rise and fall of the yacht struck his face and chest and as the cool water began to evaporate, his mind became clearer and clearer. Lizzie was watching him and a shiver went down her spine because the grim expression on his face left nothing to the imagination and she was sure he was thinking how soon he would be able to get his revenge on who ever had shot Dembé!

Red was jolted by Lizzie's voice. It took him a few seconds to get to his senses but then he was up and above deck. The bright sun overhead produced a glare on the water that blinded him but then towards the east and just over the horizon, he could see the outline of a distant shore. Using global positioning, they identified the main land as Mexico. Finally, early in the evening, the lights of Mazatlán were visible in the distance. Slowly, Red and Lizzie entered the harbour and made their way to the sailboat docks. Red carefully covered up the sails and zipped up the red sail covers. After unloading, they notified the harbour master and headed by foot for downtown Mazatlán.

Since they could not fly earlier to Washington DC than the next day, Red had booked them a suite at the Casa Lucilla and Lizzie watched him while he stood at the sink, shaving. She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, resting her chin on his shoulder and gazing into the mirror at his reflection, 'Red you haven't said three words since we arrived…Are you OK?'

Red took a towel and wiped the remnants of shaving soap from his face before he brushed past Lizzie, heading back into the bedroom to get dressed.

Lizzie followed him, 'Please…talk to me Red?' She pushed against his chest and for a moment, his clean fresh scent clouded her mind but Red zipped up his pants and walked to the bed to pick up his dress shirt.

'Red? I respect your anger but come on…I love you, remember?' She sank down onto the bed, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

Red cleared his throat, '…I'm just afraid for you Lizzie! I can't let anything happen to you.' He knelt down before her and raised his hand to her chin where his thumb tenderly traced her lower lip, 'I would rather die before I bring harm to you!'

Red cupped her face and when his lips touched hers, she softly moaned 'cause Red tasted so fresh and clean and seductive. She slid off the bed and held onto him, her lower belly moving sensually against his groin. The sensation triggered such a sudden surge of heat in Red, he had trouble controlling his physical reaction. But when Lizzie moved again, his control was gone. She glanced up at him and could see the sudden lust in his eyes. Heat was pounding through his blood, making him so hard, it almost hurt. Lizzie said nothing but grabbed Red's hand, guiding it lower, underneath the towel she had wrapped around her body. She moved her legs apart and sighed as she felt his hand hot against her naked skin.

'This isn't the time Liz!'

'We still have this night,' Lizzie simply whispered.

'Sweetheart ‒,' Red tried once more.

Lizzie shook her head and lowered Red's zipper, watching him as she did. The look in her eyes erased what little control he had left and a groan involuntarily escaped him. Impatiently, Lizzie's hand drifted down to his abdomen, shoving his pants down over his ass.

Without further foreplay, She straddled Red. He felt her settle over his hard erection, coating him with her wetness. He angled his hips forward and Lizzie's mouth opened in a soundless sigh, her eyes drifting shut at the divine pleasure. Her body began to move on top of Red's, slowly at first, with long, deliberate strokes up and down his hard arousal. Red leaned forward and sucked a peaked nipple into his mouth, eliciting a gasp from Lizzie's throat. She ground her hips against him and as if he'd read her mind, he reached between their joined bodies to massage her tingling nub. A single brush of his skilled fingers was all it took and Lizzie came. Hard.

Her feminine muscles convulsed around Red's erection, sending sparkles of pleasure through both of them. Lizzie arched her back from the force of the climax and her breathing was laboured and fast.

Beneath Lizzie, Red kept watching her, pumping harder and harder into her. Her orgasm triggered his and Lizzie had the pleasure of watching him come right before her eyes. When the last pulses of their orgasms pulsed through their bodies, Lizzie wrapped her arms around Red, kissing his neck. She felt his fingers slide down her back.

'Satisfied?' he teased, his breathing still ragged.

Lizzie smiled and settled more firmly against him, 'For the moment.' Red grinned amusingly.

Lizzie closed her eyes and thought…If we could only stay in this moment.