Elizabeth & Raymond: Never Ending
It takes her some time to feel right again — the drug cocktail had taken a toll on her system, and her mind is beset by fears. Fear that she will wake up and Agnes will be gone; that Red will be gone; that she will be gone.
He has done whatever possible to alleviate these fears, to make her comfortable and give her the time she needs to heal. He secreted the three of them away in a snug cabin in the woods, with only Dembe coming and going between them and the outside world. He acquired and set up a cozy co-sleeper for Agnes, so that she was never out of arm's reach. And he himself never seems to leave them, except to make meals, although he is always clean and neat.
Whenever she awakes from her all-too-frequent sleep, he's there, holding her hand, or feeding the baby, or, very rarely, asleep in the easy chair he has parked beside her bed. Her half-death had taught her to love him — now that love is growing in leaps and bounds, until it feels too big for her body, too big to speak, too big for any one person to contain.
My love is never ending
Like a sea without a shore
He cares for her with the dedication to a task that he has learned over the years, easing her back into life, watching her heal day by day. He had learned a terrible lesson with her loss, and prepares now to give up his long-treasured ghosts without a qualm.
With Dembe as his man, as always, he quietly dismantles his business, piece by sordid piece. He puts the Cabal and its machinations aside as the inevitable evil of the world, and focuses on the two people now in his life who need him. Who need him present and healthy and whole.
He watches Agnes grow with a tenderness and pride he had thought long lost to him. And when Lizzie is up and about again, talking and laughing, with a light in her eyes, he feels a sense of accomplishment that borders on ridiculous.
His love for them exceeds all his bonds, fills their small sanctuary, makes life taste good again.
I'm a fool guilty of old crimes
But you are the one I adore
She surprises him in the kitchen one day, bringing in a bottle after tucking Agnes up for her nap. She appears in front of him quietly, a wistful smile on her lips and a rosy flush on her cheeks.
She is so beautiful, it never fails to make him catch a breath.
"Red," she says softly, hesitation written in her body, woven through her voice. "Are you…I mean, are we…" She trails off, flushing more deeply, and drops her eyes.
"What is it, sweetheart?" he asks, concerned — things have been easy between them since she woke. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh no," she hastens, putting a hand lightly on his chest. "Nothing's wrong. It's just…I've been better for a while now."
He smiles at her, his eyes crinkling. "You have, and nothing could make me happier. Agnes seems to be thriving here too, wouldn't you agree?"
"She is," Liz agrees, "she's wonderful, and she loves you. I…I love you. Do you still…I hope you don't regret…"
"Lizzie," he interrupts, the pieces falling into place. He cups her cheek in his hand, loving her, loving her. "Never. This life with the two of you, it's more than I could have ever hoped for. I love you so much."
Her face changes as he speaks, lights with love and happiness, a glint of mischief in her eye.
"Well, then, Red," she says, shifting a little closer so the warmth of her body seeps into his. "Are you ever going to kiss me?"
He laughs, joy and love filling the room around them.
"If you insist," he says cheekily, with a lift of his eyebrow.
But for all his insouciance, he needs a moment, a moment to make sure this is real. He lets his thumb stroke her cheek, grazing her lips; watches them part slightly and her eyelashes flutter. He leans in, measuring the moment, letting their soft, quick breaths mingle together.
He kisses her, just a brush of lips at first, a gentle testing. Her mouth is soft and pliant, and she sighs a little and wraps her arms around his neck. Then they fall into each other, their mouths moving sweetly together, love palpable and fierce.
For the rest of their life together, he'll remember this moment.
When the world has emptied
And the planet is covered in dust
I will stand beneath the silver moon rising
Waiting to resurrect our love
A/N: lyrics from Woman by City & Colour