6. Navy Blue

Elizabeth Keen was seething when she got back in the car, Reddington closing the door after her and sauntering his way to get in on the other side. Dembe stole a glance at her in the rearview mirror before turning the key into the ignition. The second Red's door shut, the car pulled out into traffic.

"I'm excited for tonight," Red hummed, blatantly ignoring the way Lizzie's eyes were as hard as stone.

"Care to share where we're going or what we're doing?"

"Probably some dancing, there will be champagne," Reddington mused, finding something interesting to look at out the window. "I'll pick you up at eight. That should give you enough time."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. He was assuming she needed a full three hours.

"Fine. But the only reason I'm doing this is because you said we could get closer to Knapp, understand?" Lizzie warned, tilting her head towards Raymond for emphasis.

Red turned back towards her, his eyebrows raised. "Of course." His smile told Elizabeth that her words just went in one of his ears and straight out the other.

The rest of the car ride was in silence, but Elizabeth could hear Red's contentment humming around her like a cat's purr. Her own head spun, wrapped up in the nerves of tonight, as well as her annoyance and frustration. The dark reserve of anger was shoved down deep into her belly and she tried not to think of Tom in order to keep it there. The black car slid easily through the streets of D.C. and after a few more minutes, finally stopped in front of Elizabeth's townhome.

"Remember, 8:00," Red called right before the door slammed shut.

Elizabeth tossed her bag on the kitchen island and opened up the fridge. Inside, she pulled out the bottle of Riesling and poured herself a glass. The tartness of the wine calmed her and she allowed a sigh to escape her lips and her shoulders slumped. She kicked of her shoes and wiggled her toes on the hardwood. Bringing her glass with her, Liz climbed the stairs and padded down the hall, going straight for the bathroom. She continued to sip the wine as she drew a bath.

Ever since she was little, Elizabeth had drawn her baths too hot. The water was boarder-line scalding, flushing her skin red as she sighed against the steam. Sam used to scold her, told her she'd boil herself alive, yet she still continued to have the water as hot as she could stand it. The heat would seep through her muscles and down into her bones, wiping away the stress of the world. Lizzie dipped her head down into the hot water, feeling it swell around her ears and soak her hair. She'd hum to herself, the old blues songs that Sam used to listen to before the cancer took him. The sharp pang of grief made her stop humming. Condensation gathered on the outside of Liz's wine glass and she allowed herself to just sit in nothingness, her eyes closed and the water muting the world around her.

An hour passed and Elizabeth decided that she should get out and dry off. She needed enough time to get her hair dried and set in curlers before she would scrounge up something to wear. She had a black cocktail dress she had decided would work fine. Wrapping her hair and body up in two plush white towels, she opened the door and padded down the hall, back to her room.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Liz grumbled, standing shock still in her doorway. Unwrapping her hair and letting it fall over her shoulder, she rubbed a hand over her face and stared at her bed again.

There, draped across her cream comforter, was a dark, sleek dress the blue-black color of the night sky. She walked over, and held it up in her hands, the fabric was a smooth chiffon. Wrapped around the middle, as she looked closer, was lace, the same color as the rest of the dress so it blended in as a subtle touch. However that subtlety was outshined by three silver and rhinestone bands that created an over the shoulder sleeve and stretched across the back to connect to the fabric at the opposite hip. Most of Lizzie's back would be bared.

"Of course he bought me a dress," she muttered to herself, laying it back down on the bed and making her way over to the vanity. Once the set of curlers were plugged in, she set to work blow drying her dark brown hair. When her hair was set in the rollers, Liz started doing her makeup. She settled on a light dusky eye shadow and red lips, nothing too heavy, but bold all the same.

By the time she was ready to get dressed, she had about an hour to finish up her hair and get dressed. She'd found a silver pair of heels and her brown hair had curled around her face in big, lazy waves. She pinned half of her hair back with a silver clip. The dress fit perfectly and Elizabeth tried not to think about how accurate Reddington got the measurements.

Elizabeth allowed herself to turn in the mirror and admire the garment. Sure enough, most of her back was exposed, but the three strands of rhinestones that stretched from her shoulder across to her hip allowed the skin to be shown in a very sophisticated way. She looked at the clock. About ten more minutes and Red would be there.

She was just about to leave her room when she heard three short knocks downstairs and the door opening and closing.

"Lizzie?" he called.

"You're early!" she shouted down, quickly putting on two silver earrings.

Raymond allowed himself a smile as he walked into her home. He admired his reflection in the square mirror that hung on the hallway wall before he stepped into the kitchen. The heels of his shiny dress shoes clicked on the tiled floor. He was wearing a tux, fitted to his body with a black bow tie at his throat. His eyes darted about, picturing Elizabeth as he saw her in the tapes, sipping wine and cooking, staggering in to make coffee in the morning, or staying up late for a midnight snack.

Stairs creaked and Raymond moved out of the kitchen and into the foyer. Time seemed to slow down for him as he watched Elizabeth Keen carefully walk down her stairs, the skirt of her dress pulled up, revealing the smooth skin of her leg and a silver high heel. The dress hugged her in all the right ways, but not too much to make it distasteful, and he found himself actually enjoying it more than the red dress she had worn before when dealing with Madeline Pratt. He swallowed his awe as his eyes followed a stray curl as it spiraled down lazily and brushed the skin of her collarbone. Silver sparkled from her ears and his eyes met hers. She gave a smile and Reddington knew she was aware of how stunned he was. Little did he know that Lizzie was impressed as well.

Sure, she had seen him countless times in tailored suits, but there was something that rose up in her whenever she saw him in a tux. The bowtie was perfect against the pressed white of his collar and his broad shoulders looked strong in the black jacket. Her feet hovered on the last step and she stood there, blinking as Reddington looked up at her and she couldn't ignore the way they glanced about her face. The silence hung between them and Lizzie could actually feel her breath as it hitched in her throat.

What is this…she thought, wondering why she had suddenly grown very warm. She remembered the first time Reddington had showed up in a tux, back when they had only met for a few days. Then again when she had donned red in order to steal KGB secrets from Madeline Pratt. But this…this was different, and she couldn't place why.

Suddenly, Elizabeth Keen was aware of the fact that they were alone in her home.

Reddington's outstretched hand snapped her back to attention. "Should we go?" he murmured, his voice lower than he had expected it to be.

"Um, yeah," her words were awkward and she felt herself blush when her fingers met with the smooth skin of Red's palm. Inside, she chided herself. Come on, Lizzie. Knock it off. This is Reddington…you're not going to the high school dance. Pull yourself together.

He smelled like expensive cologne and Elizabeth had to do everything in her power not to blush again.

At the door, Raymond stepped aside to open it for her, following after with a hand at her back. She was then shockingly reminded how exposed she was when she felt the heat of Red's palm press against her. Once outside, Elizabeth noticed that he had swapped his usual black car for a limo of the same color. The night was uncharacteristically warm for the season, and she was grateful for it when Red opened the limousine door for her. Hitching up the navy skirt of her dress, Liz slid inside and the door shut behind her with a click. She watched turned and watch Reddington move around to the other side and get in. Dembe was settled in the front seat and Lizzie could see the lines of a pressed suit fit around his broad shoulders.

Silence lingered as the black limousine pulled away from Elizabeth's curb. Red's cologne filled the space around her and Elizabeth settled back into the seat, feeling the coolness of the rhinestones press against her back.

"My neighbors are probably going to ask me about the limo," she finally said, allowing herself to smile. Red noticed how white her teeth shone against the bright red lips. Her own perfume smelled like bright lilac and orchid, and she was unaware of how intoxicating it was to the man sitting next to her.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Elizabeth asked, turning to Raymond, her dark eyebrows raised a bit skeptically. "And how did you manage to find this dress?"

"The dress was bought on a whim, I'd already seen you in black and red, I wanted to see what navy could do with you," he answered, giving her his trademark half-smile. "Glad to see I wasn't disappointed. You're a winter."

Elizabeth Keen answered with an eye roll. "You still didn't tell me where we were going."

"Patience Lizzie."

"Are we meeting someone there who knows Knapp? I need at least some kind of prep before we do this, Red."

"Trust me dear," the master criminal said reassuringly as he turned and gazed out the window. "All I need you to do is be yourself."

The party was in Atlantic City, on a roof.

But, before that, the limousine had taken them to a private hangar where a small jet was waiting for them on the tarmac. Red helped Elizabeth climb the stairs with a hand at her back and soon they were both settled in the seats coasting at a high altitude. A glass of champagne was cradled in her hand and Lizzie couldn't help by smile as the tartness popped and fizzed across her tongue.

Sixty minutes later, they had landed and a different limo was there to pick them up. Dembe was back in D.C, and Lizzie had never seen this chauffer before, but obviously Reddington knew him, in fact, they were on a first name basis.

"Take us to Carter's place, Alan."

"Of course, Ray."

"Carter?"

"I told you, patience Lizzie," Reddington murmured, giving her hand a playful pat.

A half hour later, the limo pulled to a stop outside a tall, sleek building, the windows tinted to shine a glossy black. A red carpet was laid to meet with the street, and several people with cameras were standing around, flashing the lights when Reddington got out and opened up her door for her.

"Oh my god, Reddington, what is this?" she muttered under her breath as she stepped out, suddenly very aware of how she looked in front of all those photographers.

"Say nothing and smile, you don't want a scowl for the cameras. Don't worry, Lizzie… no big magazines here, just some newspaper reporters," Reddington whispered, moving close to her, his hand on her waist as they made their way into the building.

Elizabeth could feel the heat of his palm seep through the dress. She was thankful once the cameras stopped flashing inside the building, her sight momentarily seeing the ghosts of white flashes left over. A man stood by the elevator and it slid silently up the many floors.

"Red, this is getting ridiculous," Lizzie grumbled, watching the meter on the elevator door slowly rise. "I'm about ready to go home."

Red tsked, and turned to her, overly aghast, his mouth open in protest. "Oh come on, Lizzie. Don't tell me you have a curfew." He smiled as she scowled, noticing how beautiful her frustration shone on her face. "Just trust me. We're almost there."

The elevator door slid open with a soft ding and Elizabeth's breath hitched in her throat. There was a ball on the rooftop.

Plaster pillars were raised with support beams of little white lights strung out between

them. There was a long, narrow pool that reflected the lights like tiny fireflies through the water. At the head of the pool was a black, sleek bar, two bartenders behind it tossing shakers and giving the patrons smiles along with their martinis. Couples milled about, the women in gowns as decadent as Lizzie's own, or even more so. The men wore tux's. A seven person string orchestra was tucked back in the corner, the chirping notes of some kind of classical piece resonating over the crowd. Some couples danced a graceful waltz that melted with the music, while others mingled.

Before Elizabeth could take it all in, a glass of champagne was thrust into her hand. They wove their way through the crowd to get to the bar and she could feel the eyes on her as Red ordered a scotch. Once he got his drink, she watched as he clapped his hand on a man's back, smiling and talking before they embraced. Nervous flutters started low in her stomach as she watched Red nod in her direction and the man turned to look. He was older, about late fifties, with hair that was more gray than blonde. Sharp blue eyes pierced through her and when he smiled, his teeth were too white.

"Why, Ray, who did you say your friend was again?" the man asked, nearing her. Elizabeth felt Red's arm brush against hers as he by her side and she extended her hand, giving her best smile.

"I'm Elise."

The lie came easily to her and was said without hesitation.

"Elise, beautiful name," Reddington's friend said, taking her hand and kissing it. "I'm an old friend of Raymond here, the name's Carter."

She felt a warmth on her back and realized that Red had placed his hand there when he watched Carter press his lips to her skin.

"I don't believe he's told me about you," Elizabeth chimed, her tone the polite tenor of small talk.

Carter flashed his perfect teeth and sipped his vodka tonic. "Where'd this old bag managed to pick you up, dear? Don't tell me he submitted an ad." The man laughed at his own joke, and Liz could feel Red's arm tense up, his thumb tapping against her in mild annoyance.

"Oh, ye of little faith, Carter," Reddington smiled, cocking his head to the side. "Speaking of which, where's Agatha?"

"We filed for divorce last year," Carter said, rolling his eyes and stuffing his hand in the pocket of his tux, sipping his drink. For the first time since he introduced himself, Carter looked away from Elizabeth, turning his attention to Raymond. "Turns out she found out that some of my businesses trips were more for pleasure!"

Again those perfect teeth flashed and Liz politely laughed along with Red, but her skin was crawling with every passing second they were speaking. They continued to mingle, Carter's eyes never really leaving her for too long, and his jokes were just getting more and more distasteful. She had downed her champagne a little faster than she should've. A waiter passed by with some martinis and she scooped one up. It was a little on the dry side, but the two men spoke for a while longer and she managed to finish it with the disguise of grace.

The orchestra chirped up with something new and, thankfully, Red spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Carter, but would you mind if I take my lady for a dance?"

"Not at all! Go, sweep her off her feet, Ray!" Carter bolstered, downing the rest of his drink and waving his hand for them to go on. Relief flooded over Elizabeth as she gave him a goodbye smile before Reddington moved her towards the dance floor.

"You know I can't dance that well, Red," Elizabeth warned.

"Nonsense, Lizzie."

He placed one hand at her waist and the other wrapped around hers expertly. Her own fingers spread along his shoulder, and she couldn't help but feel the strength that was under the fabric. Raymond Reddington's movement were fluid, leading Elizabeth expertly around the dance floor, the other couples only blurs around them.

"Who was that man?" Elizabeth asked, realizing that she had been meeting Red's gaze for a moment too long.

"Carter? We'd done business with each other in the past. He's a fantastic counterfeiter, the best out there. This roof, as well as the top two floors, are his. He'll host these parties every now and then," Red answered, looking around.

"I don't really like him," Lizzie said, wrinkling her nose as they moved together.

"Neither do I," he paused to spin her, "But he likes you."

The gaze she shot him could've killed a lesser man. "I will not be a pawn here, Reddington."

He secretly hated it when she called him by his full last name. The banter was gone.

Throwing caution to the wind, Red pulled her closer to him, his hand moving from her hip to the smooth skin of her back. He felt a fire there and smiled at her, their eyes meeting. The music slowed and he leaned forward, his lips only inches from her ear. She could almost feel the rumble of his voice resonate from his chest.

"I won't be sharing you with anyone tonight, Lizzie."

A fire shot from her ear all the way down to her toes. For a moment, her mind went blank and Elizabeth suddenly forgot how to function. Before she knew what was happening, Reddington entwined his fingers with hers and lifted his head, his cheek barely touching the skin of her forehead as they danced on slowly. This close, his cologne was intoxicating.

Reddington was just as overwhelmed as Lizzie…he just hid it slightly better. He lost himself in the light cloud of her perfume and the smooth skin of her back. He could feel the warm puff of Elizabeth's breath and the way her fingers fit together so perfectly with his. Pride and protectiveness swelled his chest when Carter couldn't keep his eyes off of Elizabeth. And she was unaware of the way she leaned slightly into his side, but Red wasn't. These small little graces, these little contacts, kept Raymond patient. But, seeing her like this, in that dress, tonight, made her almost irresistible. He swallowed, trying to gain back his control. His head swam when he pulled her ever closer and she didn't pull away.

"How much longer do we have to do this?" she murmured.

"The meeting was already done, we can stay however long you'd like."

"That was it?"

Reddington chuckled. "All I had to do was build up some trust. Carter's into money laundering and counterfeiting, no doubt is he helping to fund Knapp. We used to be very close friends. Once I build up that friendship again, he'll trust me. It's all about appearances." Elizabeth's head swam, and she couldn't tell if it was from the close proximity of Reddington, or if it was from the alcohol.

The music faded and the orchestra stood up for a few minutes to stretch their legs and drink some water. Red and Lizzie broke apart, the spell between them breaking, and they applauded with the rest of the crowd. When Elizabeth finished, she turned and saw that Red's eyes were trained on her.

"What?" she asked, giving him a smile.

"I did a really good job with that dress," Raymond actually winked when he spoke.

"Oh, shut up," she said, giggling from the warmth of the alcohol.

You're flirting with him, the voice in the back of her head warned. Be careful, Lizzie.

Before she could argue with herself, Red gently took a hold of her arm and steered her towards the elevator.

"I'm afraid of heights," Red mused, "Let's go for a walk on solid ground."

Liz followed, her arm entwined around his.

Down below, the streets were quiet. The two walked side by side, Elizabeth's arm still held by Reddington. The night around them was cool, cooler than back in D.C., and small little goose bumps rose up on her skin. The chirping of violins could barely be heard far above them, muted by the time it reached their ears.

"So all of this work for an hour party?" Agent Keen teased, glancing at Reddington from the corner of her eye.

"I told you, we just had to make contact."

"This dress couldn't have been cheap."

Ray pursed his lips as they walked, tapping his thumb against the skin of Liz's forearm, "It wasn't."

She couldn't help but smile her rose lips. "So you spent the money to dress me up, only to show me off for an hour?"

"Would you allow yourself to be shown off? A dress is a dress, Lizzie… it'd be wasted if the woman couldn't pull it off."

Elizabeth didn't speak.

"And besides…I could say I was just curious to see you wear it in general."

The quip was a huge gamble, but Raymond Reddington was used to taking risks.

A shiver ran down her spine, and Elizabeth Keen didn't know if it was from the cool night air or from Reddington's words. In response, Red shrugged off his tuxedo jacket and draped it around her shoulders. His scent clung to it and it made her eyelids flutter. Outstretching his arm, he shamelessly wrapped it around her shoulder, his fingers squeezing her shoulder gently.

"What are you doing?" she asked, the lightness of her drinks disappearing as rationality set in.

"I do believe that shivering mean's you're cold."

"But, this…this whole thing."

Reddington said nothing. Instead he tightened his arm around her, bringing her closer.

"I always miss seeing the stars," his voice was low as he mused. "That's the only thing I regret about living in the city." Lizzie turned and looked at him. His face was tilted up to the sky and his eyes shown with genuine melancholy. He worked his jaw in the ticking way he did and sighed.

"The sky back in Nebraska isn't big enough to hold the stars," Lizzie said, deciding to through her caution to the wind. "I used to bring blankets out in the yard and stare up at night. Sam used to sit with me sometimes... Once, he tried to teach me about their names, but I lost interest pretty quickly."

Red pictured a dark-haired little girl lying on her back, her wide blue eyes gazing up at the sparkling stars. He smiled. However…from the back of his head, a fractured memory came forward. A memory of a different girl, this one with hair that shone red-brown in the moonlight, running through the yard at night, trying to catch fireflies in a little mason jar.

"I have a jar of stars. Look, dad!"

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Let them go in my room, have my own sky."

"Red? Red? You alright?"

The world flashed back around him. "What?"

"Where'd you go? You were gone for a second there."

Red stopped walking, glancing around him, his eyes glazed. "I'm sorry, Lizzie, I was…thinking."

"You're crying." Liz stepped away from his arm and stood in front of him, her dark eyebrows stitched together in worry. "What's going on?"

Rubbing a hand on his cheek, Reddington realized that Liz was right, a small wet track streaked against his skin.

Without thinking, Lizzie reached up and placed her hands on his face, a little unsure at first, but then gaining confidence as she wiped the tears away. Instinctively, his hands went to her waist and the two lost themselves. She watched Red's eyes close and his jaw clenched underneath her palms. For once, it was Elizabeth's turn to be strong for him. She thought about their moment in the storage locker, when he held her and let her sob.

"What is it?"

Reddington couldn't bring himself to answer right away.

"Red…"

"Lizzie," he murmured, his voice cracked. He reached up and took her hands away from his face. He cradled them in his own, his thumbs trailing along her knuckles. "There are just some things you don't know…but they'll come out in time."

"I'm a grown woman, I'm not a kid," she responded, eyebrows furrowing again when she pulled her hands away and crossed her arms. He saw her there, the white light of nearby streetlamps making her hair shine and her eyes spark. His jacket was draped over her shoulders and Red couldn't believe how beautiful she was.

You have no idea how aware of that I am, Lizzie…

"Just give it time."

She shrugged, "If you insist. Are you sure you're ok, though?"

Her concern made Reddington's lips split into a grin. "Perfect. Now come on, it's getting late and there's a place on the boardwalk that sells amazing gelato."