Thank you so much for those wonderful reviews! I love you guys!
So, no Red in this chapter, not in person at least. Mostly Jen and Liz and a little bit of Tom and Ressler. But don't worry, he'll be back in the next chapter.
This baby was supposed to be a PWP so I really don't know where I'm going :)
Four days later they were back in D.C. and in their life. At 6:30 am Liz slammed her alarm off and got out the bed without waking a snoring Tom next to her. She went to the kitchen and started the coffee maker, tuning the TV on. She was about to pour a cup when she heard his deep voice coming from the speakers. Tuning around she smiled when she saw Red's face on the screen. She laughed out loud when the camera zoomed out and she saw how he was dressed.
He couldn't help it, he had always loved his theatrics and he hadn't changed one bit in ten years. He was clad in a perfectly adjusted light grey three pieces suit with a fedora just a tone darker cocked smartly on his head, his ice blue tie emphasizing the pristine white of his dress shirt, his eyes hidden by amber sunglasses. He was mesmerizing as always and still talking with his hands she noted. A shiver ran through her body at the memory of how skilled he was with those hands.
"I haven't seen you smile like that for a long while." The voice behind her made her start.
She turned off the TV guiltily and faced Tom leaning against the doorframe, smiling at her. He was fully dressed in dark blue jeans and a plaid shirt. She cringed at the comparison her brain made. He wasn't up to Red's style by a mile.
"What was the smile about?" he asked closing his arms around her when she walked to him to kiss him good morning.
"Nothing, something on the TV," she replied, feeling his hands on her short-cladded ass.
He let her go and went to pour a cup of coffee.
"I'll be late tonight, don't wait for me," she said, gulping down her coffee.
"New case?" he asked, crooking an eyebrow.
"No, diner with Jen, she called yesterday, she needs some girls' time," she smiled. "Oh gosh! I'll be late if I don't get dressed!" she exclaimed looking at the clock on the microwave next to him. "Take the car, I'll take the subway and Jen can drive me back tonight. Love you!" she added over her shoulder running up the stairs to their room.
Tom watched her disappear through the door, frowning. He waited until the door of the bathroom closed before turning the TV back on. He clenched his jaw at the screen. Reddington was talking with the dark-skinned man he had seen at the funeral, the brilliant smile on his lips making him appear years younger. He turned off the TV and slammed the remote angrily on the counter. What the hell was going on? And who was that man for Liz? He hadn't bought the neighbour explanation, something was off in their relationship and he needed to know what.
"Shit!" he mumbled seeing the clock.
He grabbed the car keys on his way out and closed the door. Being a 4th grade teacher sucked sometime.
Liz exited the house half an hour later and made her way to the closest subway station. Not for the first time she whished for a second car. The twenty minutes ride from home to the J. Edgar Hoover building was hell. It was rush hour and the cars were crowded. She didn't mind the brushes, not even the noise; it was the smell. That awful smell of people sweating in the stagnant air of the car, the mingling of aftershave and perfume aggressed her nose like anything else could. She left the train with relief and made her way to work.
"Hey Milhoan!" her partner greeted when she walked in the office they shared.
"How have you been Ress?" she smiled, shredding her coat and opening the safe she kept her gun in. She had another one at home for her spare firearm but didn't like to walk around with her gun strapped at her hip, even less in a crowded metro, when she wasn't on duty.
"Pretty good, thank you. Audrey and I went to visit some places for the wedding during the weekend," he replied.
Liz shook her head at the dreamy expression on her partner face. Since he had proposed to his girlfriend he seemed to walk on clouds most of the time.
"I heard about your father, I'm sorry," he said compassion written all over his face. "You ok?"
"No, but I will be, thanks Don," she said smiling sadly.
She loved her partner deeply. Since she had been transferred from New York to Washington Ressler had been here for her, helping her navigate in the arcane of D.C. and find some kind of family here. It hadn't been without hurt, of course. She came here as support on a case Ressler had been working on for years and she had been the one to find the missing piece and close it within a week. He had been furious at first but he had soon realized she had earned her spot at the D.C. office. She was good, better than him.
"So… I heard a strange rumor when I came in this morning," he said waiting for her to look at him.
"Is that so?" she asked noncommittally. She knew he loved to work his effects.
"The US Secretary of the Navy seemed to have booked a plane unscheduled to Nebraska two days after you left…"
"You know Nebraska is a wide state," she evaded him.
"Yeah, but rumor as it, it was a private matter and he went only with Agent Zuma, no backup. Everybody was a little crazy when he disappeared, you know?" he kept fishing, his eyes never leaving her blank face.
"Everybody knows that Admiral Reddington is not the most… conventional of politician," she replied looking for the file she was sure had been in her top drawer when she left last week. "Have you seen the Anderson file?"
"Don't try to deflect, Milhoan. The Anderson case can wait," he warned frowning.
"My my Agent Ressler, so serious about some gossip, I would never have guessed," she laughed. "Alright, Red was in Nebraska because of my father. He was my father's protégé in the Navy and later we were neighbours. I've known him since the day Sam signed the last paperwork for the adoption. Actually Red was with Sam when he came to pick me up at the orphanage, " she explained taking pity in her partner.
"Red? I'm pretty sure there's a very interesting story behind that nickname. Does he have a pet name for you too?" he asked, his eyes shinning with mischief.
"Stop it Ress! There's nothing between the US Secretary of the Navy Reddington and me," she replied a little too vehemently to really be honest. "I'm engaged to Tom and Red was there to pay his respect to his friend, that's all," she added sternly, closing the conversation.
"No need to bite, Milhoan. I was just joking. I know you didn't have a torrid love affair with a man old enough to be your father," he said rising his hand in defense. "Here, the Anderson file, nothing new," he added tossing the file across the desk.
Liz grabbed it with shaking hands. If only Ressler knew how close from the truth he had been. Pushing her fears away, she focused on the file.
Throughout the day she felt the eyes of her coworkers on her and whispers following her wherever she went. She heard Red's name associated with hers multiple times in those whispers. When she finally left the office she felt exhausted.
"Liz!" Jennifer called from her car.
"Coming!"
"How was your day?" Jen asked when Liz finally sit in the passenger seat.
"Awful. Yours?" she sighed.
"Same. Let's get some drinks, we deserve it."
Jen drove for a few minutes before parking in front of her building. Liz was grateful her friend had chosen to go back home instead of a bar. She was too tired to deal with unwanted attentions from drunken men.
They settled on the couch, glasses of wine in hand and sighed. It was good to be home and not being the strong women everybody wanted them to be. At least together they could be themselves.
"So, awful day, uh?" Jen asked sipping her wine, watching Liz from the corner of her eye.
"Yeah. I don't know how, but they had discovered that your father came to the funeral and kept asking how I knew him and why I didn't tell them," Liz explained pouring another glass of wine.
"And of course you can't tell them," Jen smiled sarcastically.
"I told them the non censured part," Liz groaned. "Sorry Jen, I know you don't want to talk about… it," she added when she saw her friend grimace.
"It's alright. I'll live," Jen smiled squeezing Liz's hand.
"What about yours?"
"Never again will I take four days off. I couldn't see my desk when I came to the office this morning. I swear those officers want my death!" she exclaimed. "I hate being the newbie there, they think they can give me their dirty job to do. If I see one more book on improper use of military material, I swear to God, I'll kill someone. Don't ask," she added when Liz was about to ask for an explanation.
"That bad?"
"Yeah. They all think that I got that assignation because of my father. They don't start to fathom how hard is it to be the Admiral Reddington's daughter. I actually thought about taking my mother's maiden name when I graduated. I love my father but sometimes being his daughter sucks," she ranted on between sip of wine.
"To your father and being in his shadow," Liz raised her glass.
"To the great Raymond Reddington and his fucking shadow," Jen clinked her glass with Liz's. "Speaking of the devil," Jen said grabbing her ringing phone from the coffee table.
"Darth Vader theme song? Really?" Liz laughed.
"He's my father, isn't he? Yes Dad," she picked up the call. "Yes Dad, we came back safely," she rolled her eyes at Liz. "Something you wanted or is it just a social call?" she asked, her frown deepening the longer Red kept talking. "Well I don't know. Wait a minute please," she said, muting her phone she turned toward Liz. "How do you feel about a very boring and official party next Saturday?" she asked.
"I don't know Jen. I'm not really the party style," Liz replied frowning.
"Please Liz, don't let me go alone," she pleaded. "Pretty please?" she added when Liz didn't answer.
"Alright! I'll come!" Liz gave in at Jen's begging.
"Yes!" she hissed before unmuting her phone. "Dad? Still here? Yes I'll come but I need a plus one," she said winking at Liz. "No, I won't tell you. Good bye Dad."
Liz could still hear Red's voice when Jen hung up.
"He's so nosey sometime," Jen sighed taking back her glass. "So you, me and a bunch of officials on a Saturday night? That's gonna be a gas!" Jen proclaimed when the Darth Vader theme blared once again from her phone. "Yes Dad. No, not telling, bye!" she said and she hung up on him for the second time in less than five minutes.
Liz couldn't help but picture Red frowning angrily at his phone and she burst in a fit of laugh, Jen joining her soon after.
"You're just so bad with your poor father," Liz laughed trying not to spit her mouthful of wine.
"He deserves it, believe me," Jen replied smirking proudly.
"Oh shit! I should go home, Tom will be an ass if I return late. Can you drive me home or should I call a taxi?" she asked looking suspiciously the glass of wine in her friend's hand.
"Taxi," she replied, downing her glass in one long gulp. "Definitively taxi or you could spend the night here" she smiled smugly.
Liz shook her head at her friend. She loved her deeply but a drunk Jennifer was really immature. She called a taxi, watching her friend pour the last of the wine in her glass.
"It's his beard I think. Or maybe his glasses. I don't like men with beard," Jen mumbled with glassy eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Liz asked concerned.
"Tom. Something's weird and I don't know if it's the glasses or the beard."
"Ok, time to sleep," Liz said, dragging her by the arm to her bedroom.
She let her fall on the bed and tucked her in. She knew Jennifer didn't like Tom; she had never hidden it, tolerating his presence because of her, but Liz whished she hadn't talked about it just that day. With Red more or less back in her life she began to feel a little touchy about Tom.
When her phone rang to announce the taxi waiting for her, she kissed Jennifer on the forehead and left, closing the door silently behind her. She had to think about how she would tell Tom about the party. Party he wasn't invited to. Liz sighed and looked through the window, watching the city pass by. She had four days to figure it out.
Let me know what you think about it :)