FOURTEEN
Sorry for the long wait. RL got in the way, again! But that's no excuse. Only 2 more chapters after this. Hope you like it.
Lizzie looks around at the hustle and bustle around her. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button down just waiting for the time when she was supposed to get dressed. She was standing in the middle of the smallest ballroom while the hotel staff got the room ready for the wedding. They didn't have very many people in their life so it wasn't a very big wedding. She had her team from the Post Office while Ray had a few close friends coming. Namely Dembe and Mr. Kaplan.
"Mama! Mama!" Lizzie smiles when she hears Nora behind her.
"Don't you know, its bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," she smarts without turning around.
"Posh," Ray says back. "Trust me on this one sweetheart, with the way our life has been going, we've already had some bad luck and it hasn't stopped us yet."
"That is very true," she remarks with a nod of her head. She smiles as she turns around and he gasps.
"You are truly exquisite," he says taking a few steps and with his free hand pulls her toward him.
"I'm not even in my dress yet," she says.
"You will still be exquisite. I cannot wait to make you my wife," he tells her leaning down and giving her a kiss.
"Ray, do you think Dembe would be willing to walk me down the aisle? Even though we are getting married on the beach and it's a short aisle?" Ray beams at her.
"I think he would be delighted sweetheart. Why don't you ask him now?" Ray nods to somewhere behind Lizzie. She turns and smiles as she sees Dembe walking toward them.
"Dembe, I was wondering if you would be willing to walk me down the aisle? Even though it's on the beach?" Lizzie poses her question, looking up at the man she considers a brother. She blushes under his scrutiny before he grins widely at her. He pulls her into a hug. Oh, how she loved Dembe hugs.
"I would be honored to," he tells her.
"Thank you," she whispers, laying her forehead on his broad chest.
"Dem—Dem! Hug!" they hear Nora yell. They turn to see Nora holding her arms out. "Mama!" she yells, getting frustrated. Lizzie chuckles before taking Nora from Ray. Nora drops a slobbery kiss onto her mother's cheek before wrapping her arms around Dembe's neck. "Dem-Dem!"
"Hello Nore-Nore," he whispers as Lizzie takes a step back into Ray's arms, and they watch as Nora cuddles into Dembe. They thought she was about to fall asleep, but she sees something over Dembe's shoulder.
"Don-Don!" she yells, making Dembe flinch. She struggles in his arms before he puts her down. They watch as she runs towards Ressler, who was walking into the ballroom with Jennifer. Besides the three standing there, Ressler is her favorite person.
"Nore-Nore!" he says, lighting up at the toddler running towards him. He scoops her up and tosses her into the air. She squeals in happiness as he catches her, placing her on his hip.
"Hi Nora," Jennifer says with a smile. She turns to look at Jennifer and stares at her for a moment before turning back to Ressler. Jennifer sighs and looks down at her feet.
"It's alright Jennifer. She'll come around," Ressler tells her, running his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner. She shrugs, not saying anything.
"What's wrong?" her father's concerned voice asks as they get over to the three.
"Nora," Ressler supplies.
"Still getting a cold reception?" Lizzie asks. Jennifer nods, not saying anything. "She'll come around. Don't worry. You're new to her. She'll understand soon enough that you are here to stay."
"Sar-Sar!" Nora calls out. The group turns to see Samar walking in.
"Hey Nora," she coos at the girl. She gives the girl a noisy kiss, making Nora giggle. She turns to Lizzie, "Are you ready?"
Lizzie looks at Samar with a confused look. "Ready for what?" she turns to look at Ray. "What did you do?"
"Me?" he ask appalled. "What makes you think I did anything?" she keeps staring at him, waiting for him to crack. "Okay, I thought it would good for you to be pampered. So I made an appointment for you girls to go to the spa. Then you have a hair appointment. By the time you are done, it would be just in time for the wedding."
"Well, what about the baby?"
"Oh, they have a special package for momma's-to-be. Don't worry sweetheart," Ray tells her. She grins brightly at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss that some of their company had to turn their gaze away from.
~*~ TBL ~*~
Lizzie sighs as she leans back in the plush leather chair. Her hair was wrapped tightly in a towel, while the bathrobe she wore was sinfully soft. Lizzie and Jennifer were getting a pedicure and Samar, well, Lizzie didn't know where she had wandered off to. Jennifer took a look over at Lizzie and then turns back to the lady that was doing her pedicure. She turns to look at Lizzie again but turns back. She turns again only to see Lizzie staring at her.
"This is the third time you've turned to look at me. Is there something you wanted? Or something you wanted to ask me?"
"Maybe…" she trails off. "I don't know. I have so many questions, so many thoughts swirling through my head right now."
"That's understandable. Ask me what you truly want to know and then we can go from there. I know you talked to your father a great deal while I was in the hospital. But everything that's happened, happened so fast."
"Yeah," Jennifer says quietly. "What happened? How did you guys end up here? Like this?" she gestures to Lizzie's form.
"Uh, that's a loaded question. Ray was sent on a mission. He couldn't disobey a command from his superiors. He didn't know what he was getting himself into. Ray and his team, they were sent to kill my father. My father had stolen something. Something called The Fulcrum. It was a blackmail file on some of our nation's top rulers. At the time he didn't know his team and his superior were dirty. He didn't know they were supposed to kill my family. Your father somehow learned of their intentions and tried to stop them. It ended up with one of his team mates knocking him out and setting fire to my house. He woke up to the house on fire. He was looking for an escape route when he must have heard me crying. My father hid me in a closet, so they wouldn't find me. Ray risked his life to try and find me. He eventually found me in a closet. He scooped me up and ran through the house. Just as we were making it to safety, a beam fell on us. His jacket caught on fire. The way I was positioned, my arm got caught as well." Lizzie holds up her wrist to show Jennifer the burn mark.
"What happened after that?" she asks.
"He managed to get us out of the house after that. He brought me to a trusted friend of his, Sam, the person who raised me. My dad. A few months after that night, Sam took me camping with a few friends and their kids. I had a complete meltdown at the sight of the campfire. It was then that Sam got in touch with Ray and they had my memories blocked. And plus, I had nightmares for months after the night of the fire. That was another reason as well."
"Did you ever see him after that night?"
"Only when he turned himself into the FBI. I was a rookie. My first day on the job, and this guy, who I had no idea who he was, turns himself in. Crazy business. Ray and his list," she mutters.
"What about us? Me and my mother?"
"The group was called the Cabal. Well, the night of the fire after your father went against orders, they decided to teach him a lesson. They took you and your mother and put you into witness protection. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to find you or get to you. He has spent the last 25 years or so wondering what happened until a few years ago when one of your father's enemies, someone called Berlin, found your mother. Your father saved her, and she told him she had no idea where you were. I'm not sure how true that was at the time. I honestly wasn't expecting to find you in the middle of the woods in New Orleans. And honestly, I wouldn't have known who you were when I saw you if we hadn't had to make an age progression on a picture of yours."
"Age progression? Why would you have to make one of those?" Jennifer asks, more interested in this story than she thought.
"Well, about a year ago or so your father was shot. The doctors didn't think he was going to make it. There was a blood shortage and they needed all the help they could get. Dembe and I were going to try and find you. Ray found out when he got better and freaked out."
"He didn't want to find me?" Jennifer asks quietly. This conversation was taking a turn she didn't like.
"He didn't want you to be part of this life that we lead. He didn't want you to know the kind of man he turned out to be. I mean, yes, he's a little rough around the edges. But once you get to know him, he's soft. When he loves, he loves unconditionally."
Jennifer sits back, thinking over everything Lizzie had told her. She didn't know how to comprehend everything. "So, he did want to find me?"
"He did. He loves you with everything he has. He never stopped hoping that you were alive. When he was in the hospital, Dembe and I went to see your mother. She was no help. She told us she didn't know where you were. Which I find hard to believe, when a few short months later we run into you, well, I run into you."
"Honestly, she didn't know where I was. We're in contact, but I refused to meet her face to face. I always did think that she knew more than she was saying. She always spoke negatively about him, but now that I know the truth…" she trails off.
"Does it change anything?"
"He's still my father and I still love him. I think it will take me some time before everything sinks in. I've always wondered what happened to him. I was always a daddy's girl. Now, I guess I will pass that torch onto Nora."
"My dad always told me that no matter how old I got, I would always be a daddy's girl. So, I could say the same to you. No matter how old you get, you will always be a daddy's girl."
Jennifer thinks this over and the two lapse into silence, each lost in their own thoughts. They continue on in silence just letting the workers pamper them. Soon they finish and head over to get their hair done.
Lizzie chose to have her hair curled with half of it pulled back by a diamond-crusted barrette Ray had sent to the place beforehand. Jennifer had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and got that curled while Samar had her curls tamed and pulled into a low side ponytail.
"Looking good, ladies," the lady behind the front desk says.
Lizzie smiles brightly at her. "Thank you."
~*~ TBL ~*~
"Sweetheart, you are absolutely breathtaking," Ray says as Lizzie walks into the room after getting pampered for the day. She smiles brightly at him. He leans down and gives her a quick kiss. "I will be out of your hair in a minute. I know you and the girls are getting ready in here. Nora's stuff is all ready for her. She should be getting up from her nap soon." He gives her another kiss before heading for the door. "I will see you soon my love."
"I will be the one in white," she tells him with another smile. He grins widely at her before taking her face into his hands and giving her another kiss. He then takes a step back and heads out of the room. She turns to where her dress was hanging up. She couldn't believe she was marrying the love of her life. She thought Tom was it for her, but their love was nothing compared to what she felt with Ray. She turns to look at the bed and sees Nora still sleeping. She grabs the bag that had her under-dress lingerie and heads into the bathroom. She quickly strips down before hearing her room door open.
"Liz?" she hears Samar question.
"In the bedroom. You can come in," she tells her. She walks out of the bathroom, tying the bathrobe closed.
"Are you ready to marry my dad?" Jennifer asks quietly.
"I sure am. I've been ready since he asked me."
"Which time?" Samar quips. Lizzie laughs while Jennifer looks on questioningly.
"What does that mean?" she asks curious.
"Well, the first time he asked me was when we brought Nora home and he presented our house to me. I said yes. The second time, was after he got shot. We had had a huge fight about finding you. Dembe and I were going to start looking for you, but your dad didn't want to. He completely freaked out. He had just gotten home from the hospital and he could barely walk, but he started getting things together to leave. It was not one of our finest moments. But I took Nora and left, leaving the ring on the table when I did. One night a few weeks later, he called to ask if we could meet to talk. Ressler kept Nora so we could talk. I end up at the house and walk in to every sort of flower imaginable. He chose all these flowers with all these meanings and when I got to the end, he was down on his knee with my ring in his hand. And here we are."
"Well, not exactly," Samar says.
"Well, yes, not exactly. There was that whole pesky getting kidnapped thing." The bedroom door opens and they see a disheveled Nora walking out, holding her blanket and stuffed monkey. "Hey baby," Lizzie coos, picking Nora up and snuggling with her.
"So, what about a ring?" Jennifer asks looking as Lizzie runs her hand up and down Nora's back from where she was sitting on one of the couches.
Lizzie shrugs. "He said he was going to take care of it. I really liked my ring. But I also didn't want it tainted by that maniac."
"Did he get you another ring?" Jennifer asks.
Lizzie shakes her head. "I loved my ring. So I told him that it didn't matter if I got a new ring. Besides, when we had to check things out at work and wear gloves, I always had to take it off. With just our wedding bands, I am free to wear the gloves. We actually chose our wedding bands with that particular thing in mind."
A phone rings and Samar excuses herself to take the call. Jennifer watches as the agent walks out, making sure they were alone. "May I speak freely about something?"
"Of course. Don't think you need to hold anything back with me." Lizzie places Nora down before walking into the bedroom and coming out with Nora's diaper bag and a plastic shopping bag. She sits down, placing Nora onto her lap before starting to pull her hair into two pigtails.
Jennifer takes a deep breath watching Lizzie work on Nora's hair. "My mother is against this whole thing. And she also thinks I should be against this as well. But I'm not. I know my father loves you. He loves you so much Liz. And I'm glad that I've gotten to know you a little more today. I wasn't so sure in the beginning, but after today, I've come to realize you and my father have been through a lot. So, thank you."
"Jennifer, you never have to thank me for anything." Lizzie places Nora onto the couch next to her, opening a plastic container that had some goldfish in it. Nora smiles brightly upon seeing her favorite snack.
"Your family now, you can call me Jenn." Lizzie smiles at her before getting up and walking into the bedroom where her dress bag was hanging up. Jenn takes it when she notices Lizzie falter. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just a bit of nausea," she replies. "Baby is getting excited, I guess." She then places one hand onto her mouth while the other one goes to her stomach. "I'll be right back," she turns onto her heel before making her way into her bedroom. She comes back a few minutes later carrying a bag with Nora's dress in it while giving Jenn a smile. "I just threw up my breakfast, but I feel much better." She sees the disgusted look on Jenn's face and laughs. "Don't worry, I brushed my teeth." Jenn chuckles before unzipping the dress bag and taking the dress out. Jenn helps Lizzie get into her dress.
Samar walks back into the room, with a light blue dress on. "You look really nice, Agent Navabi," Jenn comments.
"Thank you. You can call me Samar. Why don't I help Liz and you go get dressed?"
"What about Nora?" Jenn asks.
"I've learned its best to wait until we are ready to walk out of the door. Besides, half the time she likes to squish those little crackers. I do not want it all over her dress." Jenn nods and walks towards the bedroom she was using. Samar helps Lizzie zip her dress up before tying the silver sash that was around her waist. The sash was originally blue, but she had exchanged it for silver to match Ray's suit. They both turn to look in a mirror that was standing against the wall. "Wow," Lizzie says.
"You look beautiful. Are you ready to get married?"
"Absolutely."
Jenn walks out of her bedroom and the two turn to look at her. "You look great, Jenn." Jenn had chosen a short, one-shouldered purple dress.
"Thanks." There was a knock on the door and Jenn walks over to the door, opening it to reveal Dembe, who was wearing a suit and a happy grin on his face.
"Dembe, you look good," Lizzie remarks, seeing Ray's right-hand man standing in the doorway.
"Thank you Elizabeth," he remarks. "Are you ready?"
"I am, but unfortunately Nora is not. She is just having a bit of a snack. We will get her cleaned up and in her dress in a few minutes. Do not worry. We will not be late."
Between the three women, Nora was cleaned up and dressed within a matter of minutes. She had a cute little white dress on with a silver sash, much like her mother. She had chosen not to make Nora wear tights, but had little white sandals to go with her outfit. She picks Nora up and settles her onto her hip, while slipping into the ballet flats that she had chosen. Samar and Jenn walk ahead as Nora starts to cry. Nora turns her head toward the room. "Do you want your blankie or your monkey?" Lizzie asks, running her hand up and down her daughter's back.
"Blankie and monkey," Nora says leaning up and giving her mother a kiss on the cheek. "Pretty mama." Lizzie smiles while looking at Dembe. He nods and heads into the room bringing back the blanket and the monkey. Nora smiles and hugs the monkey close as she does her blanket. Lizzie loops her arm through Dembe's as they walk down the hall towards the elevators.