Stirring slowly awake, Red groaned softly. He chanced opening his eyes, but there was only darkness. He lay on a hard surface.
"What the hell?" He muttered groggily.
The last thing he remembered was standing in a field with a bull, then a blinding light enveloping him... and Lizzy.
He had smelled her, touched her... kissed her.
Had it all been a delirium induced dream? Was he laying in the field still waiting to bleed out from the bull's attack?
What the hell was going on!
Squeezing his eyes tightly shut against a blinding light, the man grimaced away the slight pain.
"Not again..." he sighed woefully. He waited for that 'out of body' feeling to descend, but he remained stationary, as far as he knew.
Adjusted to the light now, he cautiously opened his eyes, only to startle a moment later when he found a slab of marble not but a foot from his face.
"What the fuck?" Red's mind shut down, for to think beyond the moment was terrifying.
Slowly reaching outward, Red felt his heart thump hard in his chest when he confirmed the situation he now found himself within.
"Okay," he breathed out a harsh breath, "... this isn't good."
Was he dead, and this was his penance? To be aware he was trapped in a stone box for eternity? If so, that would certainly be a hell of a punishment. He wished someone would settle on a punishment and stick to it.
He would applaud whoever thought it up, but his hands were a little constricted at the moment.
Had some idiot... or enemy... buried his ass alive? Fucking Ressler! He couldn't even do that right! All he had to do is take care of the body. Surely the moron had checked for a pulse, right? Or was he somehow taken out of the FBI's care? How incompetent does one organization have to get before it's disbanded?
In any case, Red didn't know whether to accept his fate graciously, panic as his mind was suggesting... or conserve oxygen until someone hopefully came and rescued his ass.
He had mentioned in his Will to actually check if he was dead... right? After what happened with Robert Vesco, and his faked death, surely Red had placed that addendum in writing somewhere.
Not that the thought seemed to help any. Only seconds later, he felt his chest grow tight and his breathing increase as panic began to set in.
"Stop it, you damned pansy." He muttered tightly. "You've been in worse spots than this." He bolstered his spirts. He thought hard on any exact moment worse than this, coming up empty in the end. No...this was pretty fucking bad, come to think of it.
Reaching out once more, his hand came in contact with cold marble. Well, if that wasn't confirmation he was entombed in a marble box, he didn't know what was.
Still, someone cared enough to give the very best. Marble, hum. Classy.
"That's odd?" He mused, his fingers brushing the smooth surface. They didn't put those mausoleums underground... did they?
Picturing the graves they passed while on business in New Orleans, the rows of marble and stone boxes in tidy rows, flashed by in his mind's eye.
"Well, that's not so bad," He murmured to himself. "At least if I'm above ground, my chances of escape have raised exponentially." A sliver lining. Someone could have at least lined this damned thing with something softer. His ass was cold.
Giving the slab a hard push did nothing to displace the heavy stone. Red pushed again...cause he wasn't no quitter... but nothing budged.
"Okay, well," he took a steadying breath, "this could be worse." he philosophized. "Not sure how, but I could have snakes or scorpions or...creepy crawlers in here with me, I guess."
Shoving once more at the blockade, Red growled his frustration. "Why the hell do they make these bastards so heavy!" He grunted. "What? It's a last-ditch effort to evade a zombie apocalypse?"
Just as the anxiety started to creep back in around the edges, the sound of concrete slabs rubbing against one another filled the tight space.
Holding his breath, Red readied himself for what was to come... whatever the hell it may be.
He blew out a relieved breath when Dembe's smiling face loomed into view.
"Thank god!" Red breathed his relief to see friend, not foe...not that he wouldn't have settled for anyone under the sun at that moment in time. "You're a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you."
Dembe's brows lifted fractionally as Raymond slowly sat upright. The dark eyes allowed some surprise to filter through the usual stoic demeanor. "...Raymond?"
Leaning on the ledge of the crypt, Red frowned when he noticed Baz step into view, along with other members of his security team.
"Where's Agnes? Why aren't you with her!" Red demanded to know.
"I have a security team on Agnes," Baz assured.
"You better have!" Red scowled at his head of security. After Kaplan had gravely wounded the man, Red didn't think once of putting the guy out to pasture.
While Baz was unable to move as fast as he once had, the injury did little to lessen the man's expertise. Red would have been a fool to let him go.
Bracing his arms beside him, Red hopped from the box with ease before enveloping Dembe in a tight embrace.
Remembering Dembe had been wounded just hours ago, he hastily loosened his hold.
"I'm sorry." He apologized for any pain he caused his cherished friend. "It's just so fucking good to see you, old friend."
"It is fine, Raymond." Dembe smiled brightly, staring long and hard at Red's face. "I am fine."
Rubbing his eyes, Red worked away the blobs in his vision the blinding light had created. "You wouldn't believe the dream I just had." He shook his head at such foolishness, then really glanced at the thing he had just escaped from. "...What the fuck?"
He took a minute to get his bearings. "I don't know what the hell that is or why I was in it, but I'm just glad you guys were on top of it all." He tried a smile and succeeded. "Thanks for getting to me in time."
"It wasn't us." Dembe grinned wider. "It's complicated, Raymond. But it wasn't a dream."
"What the hell else could it be?" Red chuckled sadly. "You know what? Doesn't matter...I'm out of that damned thing and you guys are here." The man put his hand on Dembe's shoulder, squeezing gently. "It's been a shitty day. I just want to..."
Leaning his hand on the box behind him, Red hesitated, for his eyes had dropped to the rather ostentatious covering. "Is that real gold?" His palm eased across the surprisingly warm surface.
Not only was the damn thing gold, it was covered in hundreds of hieroglyphics. He was astounded, he could actually read a few of the lines. "That is Egyptian." His brow furrowed darkly.
How did he know that? Not that it was Egyptian writing, but his mind deciphered... The book of knowledge passed down through the centuries.
He sought out Dembe.
"Why can I read this shit?" He blinked his awe, his confusion skyrocketing.
"We only just arrived ourselves, Raymond." Dembe motioned to Baz and the others.
As snippets of the day sped by at top speed in his mind, Red knew without doubt, he remembered everything vividly.
Didn't he?
"This has been one hell of a weird day, Dembe. Let me clue you in." He shook his head woefully. "...You just got here? Where is... here?" Maybe it was some side effect of the treatment. Who the hell knew at this point? He searched about aimlessly, not recognizing anything as concrete and familiar.
"Why are you guys here? You were in a bed in Spain." He motioned slightly with a lift of his hand to the large black man. "Baz was in D.C. with Agnes." Nothing made sense any longer.
Hearing soft footsteps and a stuttered gasp at his side, Red turned towards the sound. Hs heart skipped a beat when he came face-to-face with...
"...Lizzy." He whispered, his heart and mind settling instantly for the beautiful reality which now faced him. If it wasn't reality, he didn't give a shit. He wasn't about to question it.
"Red?" Liz's mouth gaped, her eyes scanning the man opposite her, the blue depths wide and shocked.
Glancing between the occupants of the room, Red felt as if his world had tilted on its axis.
"So..." Red checked with whoever would reply first, "... not a dream."
"No, Raymond," Dembe grinned, "it's not a dream."
"I can give you a right hook to the jaw, if you want." Baz smirked, stepping up the plate. "To prove as much."
"I think," Red swallowed hard as he started longingly at Lizzy, "you're supposed to pinch me."
"I hope you're talking to her," Baz muttered, gesturing to Elizabeth, "and not me."
Sparing the man a descriptive glare, Red turned towards Lizzy... a slow smile replacing his glower.
Liz shut her mouth hastily, realizing she had been gaping, but she couldn't stop staring at the man who stood so insolently before her as if nothing was out of the norm.
She watched as they had gently placed Red in the sarcophagus, and mentally, she knew some of the box's power firsthand, but nothing prepared for this moment.
The man's voice and mannerisms were the same.
When he went in, he looked haggard... dying. Now, he looked lighter somehow, as if unencumbered by everything that had weighed on him beforehand.
He looked lean, muscled and...younger? The most startling metamorphosis was the long dirty blonde hair covering his head. It was very attractive and made Red look so much younger. It was shaggy and unkempt, which only charmed all the more for some obscure reason.
It seemed to fit the guy to perfection.
My god... was this what Red looked like twenty years ago? He was so handsome, Liz was rendered speechless.
"Ah," Ba'al sauntered on scene, his expression a bemused one, "there's the Dr. Jackson I know... and barely tolerate." He crossed slowly to stand on the opposite side of the sarcophagus. "What do you think of my little Star Trek apparatus, Doctor? Feeling more like yourself, finally?"
He seemed to revel in the silent awe surrounding the question, turning his attention to... "Close your mouth, Elizabeth. It's unseemly to gawk."
The woman blushed slightly, shifting her eyes from Red's interested ones.
"Quite a change, hum?" Ba'al grinned, waving an imperious hand over Red's person. "Takes a little getting used to, yes?"
"Uh," Liz looked Red over once more, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. She liked Red before, as a man. Of course, she had found him entirely attractive. She still liked Red the way he was, but this...this transformation! Liz didn't know what she was feeling exactly. "I m-mean..."
"You have a way with words, have I mentioned." Ba'al rolled his eyes. "We are all very impressed with such descriptive powers." He dismissed readily. "I put the same question to you, Doctor." The being waited patiently for once.
Glancing down at himself, Red frowned, for he saw no real difference. Maybe he shed more than a few pounds, but he looked the same... didn't he?
"What's the problem here?" He directed the inquiry to Dembe and Baz, who he trusted to be brutally honest in any assessment forthcoming. "Is something...not right?"
Dembe thought how to phrase it tactfully. "Everything is..."
"I remember this look. It reminds me of all those hippies down on Haight-Ashbury." Baz shook a woeful head. "Said it then, saying it now...get a haircut."
"Oh, this coming from you." Red couldn't believe his ears. "Adonis."
"I can work it." Baz was positive, grimacing. "You just look like a college kid who can't find the barber shop without directions from your professor."
Red felt his head, gasping his own shock. His eyes lifted instinctively, but all he could see was a lot of fluff around his brows. "What the shit!" His fingers felt the blonde mass tentatively.
"I set the sarcophagus to heal your cancer before it spawned." Ba'al explained. "There is no longer any trace of it having existed, at all, in your body." He bowed minutely. "You are welcome."
Red's confusion deepened. How long had he been carrying the cancer cell, exactly? Judging by Lizzy's reaction, it had been a while, he guessed.
"Okay, have I grown another head or something?" Red demanded to know. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
Hooking a thumb, Ba'al gestured the man to follow him to a mirrored wall.
Stepping before the glass, Red's breath caught in his throat as he stared at his reflection.
"Holy... shit." Red startled at the vision before him.
Lifting his hand slowly, he touched the five o'clock shadow dusting his otherwise smooth skin before inching upward to the thick hair on his head.
No wonder Lizzy looked at him with awed wonder. He hadn't looked like this since his late thirties. He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his waist that tapered, or his arms that toned.
One thing was for sure, he'd have to see his tailor soon for an entirely new wardrobe. His pants hung entirely too loose around his waist and bagged around his muscled thighs.
He turned to the tall man in the cool robe, his manner subdued. "How can I thank you for..." Words escaped him. "I..." He halted, humbled by the reality facing him. "How is this possible?"
He glanced at Dembe, then back to Ba'al. "You healed my friend as well?" Red's heart constricted.
Ba'al replied. "Of course, I healed your First Prime. He is essential to..."
Growling her exasperation, Liz rolled her eyes. "Dembe is not Red's First Prime!"
Giving the large black man a once over, Ba'al lifted a questioning brow. "He is Raymond's right-hand man." He said. "He is a formidable presence..." he waved a hand over Dembe's muscled frame. "If I did not know better, which I do, I would assume he was Teal'c's long-lost brother."
"Teal'c?" Dembe canted his head curiously.
"Just..." Liz sighed her exasperation away, "I'll explain later."
"Again." Red felt deep gratitude to this being. "I...thank you for such kindness. I am in your debt."
"I know." Ba'al smiled pleasantly. "We shall discuss that matter later. Now is a time for rejoicing and renewing old friendships, yes?"
"I'm reeling here." Red admitted. "All I know for certain is, I feel one hundred percent better." He smiled. "Lizzy is here. My friends are here. And, if I'm dead, I'm okay with it as long as things remain as they are."
"You should be able to sort this all out, Doctor." Ba'al shook a woeful head. "I am disappointed."
"I may be Daniel Jackson in your world," Red reminded, "but not in this one. I'm not going to inherently know the answer to everything."
"Were you to accept a symbiote, you would know–"
"As much as you." Red assumed.
Scoffing, Ba'al perched his ass on a nearby ledge. "I am a god. It would take an eternity for one such as you to...well, no need even going there. It just would not happen."
"Save me the bullshit rhetoric." Red interrupted. "Let me guess," he guessed, "you want me to take alien guy... because that's the only damn way you're gonna touch Lizzy."
Falling silent, Ba'al canted his head as though the idea never occurred to him.
"It's not gonna happen, by the way." Red nipped any notion in the butt.
Liz stepped forward, her eyes hopeful. "But, Red, if–"
"I might consider the prospect somewhere down the road," Red continued, giving the woman a patient look. "Once my head gets where it needs to be, and I can ponder on the matter properly."
"Red, that's all well and good," Liz couldn't help point out, "but Kiara is Ba'al's lover."
Red wasn't stupid. That much he did know. "What has that got to do with...you?"
Liz realized she had much to explain, falling silent because a starting point escaped her at present.
"Why are we here?" Red asked his host. "I know you said I'm Daniel Jackson to you, but there has to be more, am I right?"
"I do have a proposition." Ba'al admitted.
"Which is?" Red asked.
"You are the Concierge of Crime, are you not?" Ba'al pointed out the obvious. "Quaint phrase that. You obviously don't have the same moral hangups Daniel Jackson has, thank the stars."
"I wouldn't go that far, but I digress." Red defended what was left of his morality. "I'm listening..."
"We could make a killing," Ba'al said, "you and I."
"Is taking a symbiote a prerequisite." Red asked. "If so–"
"No," Ba'al conceded. "I made that mistake once with Azuri, I will not make it again."
"And Kiara?" Red wondered.
"I..." Ba'al hesitated, exhaling a heavy breath, "I yearn for Kiara, to feel a connection with her." He didn't lie. "But I would never demand or force a female into such an alliance did she not wish it." the matter seemed distasteful to the male. "My ego is such...she must want me as I would her."
"I believe you." Red did, in all regards.
"Yeah," Liz sneered, adding her thoughts on the matter, "cause I'd cut off the head of your snake..." she cast sharpened eyes downwards, "and I'm not talking about the one in your thick ass skull, Jack!"
Cringing, Red took a hesitant step back should Lizzy make her move.
"Choose another name, please." Ba'al grimaced his distaste, brushing aside the threat. "Any other, as that one holds a certain disdain for myself and my host."
Liz held her grin. She knew all about Col. Jack O'Neill and what a pain in the ass the human turned out to be for this particular individual.
"There are others of my kind who hold no such beliefs, be aware." Ba'al warned. "Forcing a human to act as a host is nothing to them."
Ignoring the woman, as was his way, Ba'al kept his attention on Reddington. "We have many symbiotes here, waiting for just such a situation to arise." He stated a fact. "If you are willing, they could teach you much."
"I am still...undecided on that issue." Red was curious, though. "It's hard enough to live my life, let alone try to take on another as well. Not doing so good with the one the Big Guy gave me, let's all be honest here."
"Do you refer to Anubis?" Ba'al asked, tongue-in-cheek.
"Don't know the guy." Red dismissed. "Do you intend to force my guys into this symbiote thing?"
"Force? No." Ba'al assured. "I believe you are a unit, and act as one." He stated a fact. "Unless it was a collaborative effort, adding my... people, for lack of a better term, might unbalance the," he looked over the ragtag team and sighed, "effectiveness of your unit."
Mulling over all said, Red glanced at his men. "One for all, all for one?"
Ba'al inclined his head. "Well... yes."
"You want I should just stick a block of C-4 up his ass, Red?" Baz smiled happily over.
"Do you have a block of C-4 available?" Ba'al asked pleasantly. "I think not. So why suggest such a disagreeable thing? I have been a delightful host, pardon the expression...to you and your men, have I not?"
Baz rolled his eyes, producing the article from inside his cargo pants pocket.
"...Oh." Ba'al hesitated. "Do you just carry that around with you and if so...why?" Then the being shrugged mentally. "Why not, right? I will wager it comes in handy at times in your profession. I like a man who is prepared."
"Think of me as MacGyver." Baz smiled unpleasantly. "I'm the quintessential boy scout."
"Why does that name grate on me?" Ba'al mused quietly.
Lizzy had been very quiet for some time now, Red noted. "What's troubling you, baby?" He needed to know. "Does it bother you? Having to host..."
"No, Red." The woman practically snapped. "What about Kiara?" Liz frowned sadly. "Where does she fit into your plans. She's been a good friend. She's helped me...heal. She's important to me."
"I don't understand the dynamics of the relationship, sweetheart." He stepped closer. "Help me do so."
"You are acting like it's distasteful or something you, yourself, would not want to do." Liz sensed the man's hesitation.
"I'm not saying that," Red said, then cricked his neck. "Lizzy, I only just arrived." He reminded. "I'm still trying to assimilate everything..." He trailed off.
Liz's eyes softened then with understanding. "I couldn't have survived without her guiding me afterwards...explaining matters to me. Helping me accept what was."
Nodding, Red quietly took all said into consideration.
"Look," Liz hid her disappointment, "I know it's weird, so if you don't want–"
"I didn't say I didn't," Red waylaid the woman before she could begin. "I'm asking someone with experience, what it's like." He said. "We," he waved between himself and the guys, "would like to make an informed decision with all questions answered."
"Are there other benefits to your situation." Dembe stepped forward. "Are there aspects to being a host you enjoy?"
Smiling brightly, Liz turned towards the man. "Oh, well, let's see." She thought a moment. "I do heal faster," she said. "I also think faster on my feet. The ability to focus on multiple tasks at once has been incredible."
"You're also stronger," Ba'al added, gaining the guard's attention, "and you will experience a longer life."
"Yeah?" Baz's brows lifted. "How old are you?"
"I stopped keeping track of specifics," Ba'al told the truth, "but I am well over two-thousand years old." The being held up a hand, modesty insisting... "I know, I absolutely do not look it, yes."
Keeping his expression neutral, Red's heart leapt joyously at the very thought he could spend two-thousand years with Lizzy. It was a rather exciting prospect, if he said so himself.
"No, shit." Baz nodded. "You look great..."
"I know." Ba'al did.
Red's mouth quirked at the corner before returning his attention to Lizzy.
"So, you want things to stay as they are?" Red asked outright. "You don't want to separate..."
"I can't let her down." Liz explained. "She didn't let me down."
"I won't lie and say I don't want it back like it was with us, baby." Red stated gently. "Granted, I hope it would be less contentious... but you get my drift."
"I want that too, but not at the cost of Kiara's life." Liz said.
"I want a chance for us to..." How to put it, or did she even wish that? "I suppose I mean, I would like to know we're moving forward without outside influence."
"Kiara wouldn't intrude on our relationship." Liz knew that even without hearing the voice inside her head promise as much. She also understood Red's trepidation, and the reasons for it. "She is willing to... part ways though, should it be an issue."
"Will it hurt Elizabeth or Kiara to separate?" Red needed particulars, at any rate.
"Well, no." Ba'al reluctantly replied.
"But you'll no longer be able to communicate with her." Red assumed.
"No," Ba'al's heart hurt, saying the words aloud. "I can sense her when she's waiting in stasis, but that is all."
"I may have a solution." Red did. "One that will allow you and Kiara to be together," he offered a compromise, "and allow Lizzy and myself time to acclimate to being together," he lifted a hand, forestalling Lizzy's desire to interrupt, "... before acting as hosts to another pair of symbiotes."
All fell silent, listening intently, intrigued by the turn of events. More so Ba'al and Elizabeth.
"I'm listening." Ba'al restated Red's earlier reply, more than eager to hear the plan, especially if it meant his people would have a chance to break free of their stasis.
"There is this woman I know... Cassandra. She might be interested in assuming Elizabeth's role as Kiara's host if...approached correctly." Red mused aloud.
"Cassandra?" Liz scowled hard. "Isn't she your ex-lover?" She said, very much disliking the idea of Red's ex-lover hanging around.
"Yes," Red didn't mince words, "and one of the best thieves in the business."
"Oh?" Ba'al voiced his intrigue. "A...thief, you say?"
Hearing the man's interest increase, Liz rolled her eyes. Only Ba'al would think being a thief was a selling point when considering the woman for a mate.
"And a very lovely woman in her own right." Red stated a fact.
"She has no ties to Earth?" Ba'al mused overly long, his handsome face carefully composed. "None that could not be over-ridden given enough wealth and...incentive?"
"No, none." Red confirmed. "I believe she would jump at the opportunity for companionship... and to utilize her skills in many unique settings."
"I would like to speak with her." Ba'al was a decision maker, and a damned good one.
"Then we should at least approach her on the matter... momentarily." Red said. "There is something important I would like to address in the right here and now, however.
Something had plagued him for hours now.
Liz looked at Red questioningly, waiting.
Red turned, his attention for Lizzy alone. "What did you mean earlier when you said.. our baby?"
Slowly lifting her chin, Liz's eyes shifted downward. "Agnes," she murmured softly, "is ours. We're her parents."
"Since when?" Red scowled at the totally nonsensical statement.
Jerking her head upright, Liz scowled back. "Since she was created!"
Stepping forward, Ba'al interjected, his finger raised. "I believe what he meant–"
"Shut up, Ba'al." Red growled before zeroing in on Lizzy. "Well, this is news to me, now isn't it!" He barked. "You said the story was..."
"I know what I said before," Liz huffed irritably. "The bastards tampered with my mind, Red. I didn't remember a lot of things at the time to which you refer." She tightened her mouth. "Now...I do."
"Touché..." Ba'al chuckled.
"Keep out of this," Red grumbled as he neared the woman. "When did this miraculous conception supposedly take place?"
"When we were on the run," Liz said, "on the barge."
"How romantic." Ba'al said, his tone a rather droll one. "I've always liked barges myself. Cleopatra's was a little ostentatious but...""
"Dammit!" Red snapped. "Would you give us a fucking minute!"
"How rude you humans can be." Without further ado, Ba'al spun on his heel. "Try to clarify a few key points and I get my head snapped off for my efforts. Solve your puny problems on your fucking own. I have better things to do with my valuable time."
Such as deciding which symbiotes would best serve Reddington and his men. If they did wish to proceed forward after becoming accustomed to their new life, he wished to pair each man with his equivalent.
"Come along, gentlemen." Ba'al gestured the guard to the door. "Let us drink and be merry."
Dembe and Baz moved their guys out of the area discretely, allowing the two people time to sort through some issues.
Red was thankful for the effort.
"You know," Ba'al said as he fell in step beside Dembe and Baz, "if you were to take a symbiote, I have a perfect match for you, I think."
"We're listening." Baz said.
Rolling his eyes, Red watched the trio make their way for the door.
"One was a General in the great war." Ba'al sold the being's strengths. "The other, a master of martial arts and lover of philosophy."
"I'll take the conquering General." Baz called dibs, grinning at Dembe. "You get Kwai Chang Caine."
"As it should be." Dembe lifted a noble chin. "Confucius say, man who sleep in bed of nails is holy."
"Well, that was profound." Baz smirked. "Confucius also say, panties not best thing on earth, but next to it."
"This Confucius, is wise." Ba'al crossed his hands behind his back. "He is a Scholar on your world?"
"Yeah... something like that." Baz laughed, as the door slid closed behind them.
The room fell silent, eerily so. Red couldn't even hear the sound of the engines running, but that was the least of his concerns.
"Agnes is really... mine?" Red whispered reverently. He was trying to wrap his head around this new development. So many things had happened in such a short amount of time. So many earth-shattering revelations.
"Yes," Liz nodded, her eyes glittering with tears. "Had I known... which I guess I did if I were honest with myself, in retrospect." She knew that now thanks to Kiara unlocking the memories, "Tom knew I planned to go to you and suggest we leave together, just you and I... and not look back."
Red frowned, sensing something amiss. "When did you begin to suspect I was Agnes' father, Lizzy?"
Hesitating briefly, Liz nodded after a fashion. "There were little things," she explained. "Agnes would say or do something, and it sounded so much like you..."
As Agnes grew older, Red often thought to himself the same thing, but he always assumed it was wishful thinking on his part.
"It wasn't until you were with Anne," Liz exhaled shakily, "and Kaplan encouraged me to..." she shrugged.
Red's eyes closed painfully, remembering how torn he was standing between Anne and Lizzy and how he knew, deep down, after everything Liz had done... he would choose Lizzy if push came to shove.
"I knew I couldn't possibly be seeing Kaplan," Liz continued, "so I questioned her, and began to experience flashes of a memory."
In questioning Kaplan, Red wondered if that altered Lizzy's programming.
"It didn't fit into what I was doing," Liz remembered. "It contradicted everything I was feeling in my heart, but then, this rage would materialize out of nowhere. It made no sense, Red."
The rage Red felt was unreal. It was bad enough Kaplan faked Elizabeth's death, but knowing she took his daughter away as well?
He sincerely hoped that witch of a woman, and Tom Keen, were rotting in Hell.
"It was enough to unsettle everything I had been told...everything I believed, so I tested Agnes' DNA against yours." Liz told the tale.
"So, you knew before you..."
"No," Liz shook her head, "before I could receive the results, I was shot." She said. "But... I just knew." She felt it in her heart.
Considering the circumstances, Red knew how upsetting that had been for Lizzy. To know all that happened, and no way to communicate the truth... it wasn't easy, he knew from experience.
"I know you wanted me to follow through on what we agreed..."
Red's heart broke when the woman's face crumbled, and tears poured down her face.
"But I couldn't..." she sobbed. "I couldn't kill you, regardless of the results. I just couldn't!"
Pulling Lizzy into his embrace, Red clasped her close to his chest. "It's alright..." he whispered. "It's alright, baby. Everything is just fine now."
"The time we weren't together," she cried, "it was the worst feeling I'd experienced in my life. It was so bad. I hated it!"
"I know, baby," Red kissed her temple adoringly, "...I know."
"I couldn't understand how it was possible to be so angry with you," she shuddered, grasping his lapel tight, "and miss you so much. My heart was being torn in two and I had no idea...why."
Flashes of that time came at her in rapid succession. The pain it caused, unbearable.
"I would have moments of clarity," she remembered, "and wonder what the hell I was doing, or that I wished everything would go back to the way it was between us before I left..."
Tightening his hold, Red allowed Lizzy to release the burden she carried.
"I remembered wondering if I was schizophrenic," she confessed, "because this rage would claw its way to the surface anytime I wanted to call you for help...or anytime my feelings toward you softened..."
Nodding, Red flashed on a statue of the two-faced god, Janus. It was ironic one face looked to the past, leaving the other to look to the future... just as Lizzy had.
"It felt as if I suddenly had an evil twin I couldn't control," she confessed. "I was watching it all unfold as if it were a horror movie I walked through but had to follow the script, no matter how hideous it was."
Lifting haunted eyes, Liz continued. "I felt I needed to destroy you, but also knew without doubt, I needed you beside me. I needed your strength, your kindness...your...love."
Like Red did with the fire, it appeared Kaplan attempted to insert a failsafe trigger to prevent Lizzy from remembering.
He wondered if perhaps when Elizabeth had shot Connolly, and all her memories came to the surface, if it rendered further manipulations unstable?
Whatever the case, it hurt to know Lizzy had felt so lost and alone. Especially knowing, had he even the slightest inkling she was that torn and lost, he would have done everything in his power to extract her from the situation. To offer some kind of assistance.
"Shh," he soothed, sensing she was tiring, "it's over, baby. We're here together now, aren't we."
Resting her head against his chest, Liz sniffled and nodded solemnly. "I miss her so much, Red."
"I know you do, sweetheart." Red's heart ached for the woman.
"I was so grateful you disregarded my wishes and went to her," Liz said. "Seeing you with Agnes..."
"You saw?" Red questioned. He glanced around their surroundings, wondering...how?
Nodding, Liz smiled sadly. "From afar, yeah. Ba'al beamed me in once or twice." Her eyes shined at the memories. "He can be very...caring sometimes, believe it or not." She laughed mirthlessly. "When he's not being a shithead."
Red's breath caught in his throat, wondering if those moments he felt her presence... had she truly been there just beyond his reach?
"A lot of the time though," she said, "I saw you two through surveillance." Her eyes filled with tears once more. "To see you and not be able to...touch or...speak or..."
"I missed so much time with her, Lizzy." Red confessed. "After you died..."
"I know, I know... it's okay." She lifted a quivering smile, squeezing him hard when the man shook his head. "So much time has been taken from us. So much precious time, Red."
Red grunted angrily. "I should have been there. I should have–"
"You came back when she needed you most, Red." Liz knew. "When she was ready, you were there to cheer her on in soccer, applaud at her recitals... answer questions about me."
"Why did you..." Red sighed, unsure he wanted to know.
"Why did I, what?" Liz murmured.
"We weren't on the best of terms," Red explained his confusion, "so... why did you tell Agnes I liked to hold hands?" That had meant so much to him. So very much.
Lifting her face from hiding, Liz's eyes softened. "I didn't realize it at first, but Agnes was what centered me." She explained. "When I was with her, the voices, for lack of a better term, stopped."
Red remained silent, letting her find the words.
"It wasn't until Kiara began mending the fissures in my mind," Liz continued, "I understood, because Agnes was a product of us, I found the clarity I so desperately wanted."
Understanding the underlying meaning, Red's eyes filled with pain and the threat of tears. The fucking bastards! That his enemies brought this woman to such a point in her young life...because of how he had lived his life...
"I guess my subconscious mind realized how much alike you two were." Liz shared her thoughts. "It wasn't until just a couple weeks before I..." she trailed off, "that I questioned the similarities to the extent I finally wanted to find out the truth, once and for all." The silence came for a long beat. "If nothing else, I thought the results, especially if they were negative, would put the matter to rest in my mind."
"How can you know for certain Agnes is mine?" Red had to ask.
"The last time I was with Tom," Liz shuddered, "was in May. I conceived Agnes in July or August... when I was with you."
It had been so long since he experienced such pure elation; he was unable to contain the overwhelming joy he felt.
His gut churned with anxious energy at the very thought of that amazing child being his very own. Red's heart felt as if it would burst with pride.
"I also grabbed the results." Liz pulled a folded paper from her pocket, handing it to him.
Unfolding the sheet, Red stared down at the proof there in black and white. Agnes was his daughter.
"How did you..." Red's brow furrowed. "My DNA?"
Lowering her eyes, Liz's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as memories of her ransacking Anne's home for needed samples flashed in her mind. "Can we just say... the sample was definitely yours, and leave it at that."
Nodding quietly, Red looked back down at the paper, a smile pulling at his mouth.
This was so surreal. It was as if, it couldn't possibly be. But everyone was telling him it was reality. Being here with Elizabeth again, the love of his life, and she was well and unharmed and beautiful and glowing...that she had gifted him a little girl to love and cherish, was incredible.
Having lost one little girl and now...God's Grace giving him another chance. It couldn't be real. It just...couldn't. He didn't deserve...
"This has been so hard on you, I know."
Leaning her forehead to Red's chest, Liz sniffled quietly. "I'm sorry I've allowed them to do this to us."
Capturing the woman's face in hand, Red lifted Lizzy from her hiding spot, placing his mouth to hers in a bruising kiss.
"Thank you," he whispered his awe and gratitude to a benevolent being, murmuring against her soft mouth. "...I fucking love you." He rasped. "I love you so much." He whispered huskily. "So much, Lizzy. You can't know."
Gathering the woman in his arms, Red blindly pushed Elizabeth back until they came flush with the wall. He was grateful for the support.
Bracing his hand beside them, he dug his fingers into the warm etchings he found there.
"That little girl has become my life, Lizzy..." his breathless words washed over her. "Thank you..." he kissed his way down her cheek line and neck, "thank you for giving me that sweet, innocent baby."
Lifting to her toes, Liz clung to Red's shoulders, deepening the already passionate embrace, her lips clinging to his with a desperation.
The tip of Red's tongue melded sensually to hers, seeking a closer intimacy, his ardor increasing now that he had the woman in his arms, close and warm.
Kissing his way down her neck, Red palmed the weight of her breast, kneading the pliant flesh reverently.
Liz groaned her appreciation, her senses flaming to life at his touch.
His fingers gently tugged the laces of her top, easing the delicate fabric apart, baring her breasts to his hot mouth's exploration. He suckled the luscious nipple hungrily, grunting his growing involvement.
Liz squirmed eagerly into the man's activities, whimpering softly for him.
"...I've missed this." Liz gasped, arching her breast further into his mouth. Clawing at the man's shirt, she frantically attempted to release the ivory buttons at his neck. "I've missed you, so much!"
"Fuck that." The man growled his impatience, yanking the shirt overhead in the next instance, discarding it on the gleaming floor beside them.
Running his hand down the slope of her bared spine, Red brought the woman back into his sphere with a rough tug. "You've missed it?" His tone was raspy with emotion. "I've lain awake nights...in agony...my fucking cock so hard for you, I thought I was going to die of the pain."
Mewing, Liz pushed against the soft fur covering his chest, rubbing her breasts against the crisp pelt. She moaned despondently as the man moved away.
Red leaned slightly, his fingers running the length of her crease lovingly, feeling a wet warmth spread through the fabric of her gown. He grunted his delight.
Shoving his hand inside the slit of her skirts, he slipped his forefinger into the gap of her panties, easing over the slick heat of the moist, pouty lips. The man's calloused palm cupped and lifted her breast, stroking and suckling her areola hungrily in the very next instance, his body keeping her pressed against the walls surface.
"Shit..." he rasped as the Lizzy's arousal filled his senses. "That's what I like...right there." He gasped, his breath coming in quick, uneven puffs against her flesh.
Liz's shaking fingers fumbled at his waist and pulled desperately at the latch of his belt.
"You have to...hurry." Liz's voice shook with repressed need.
"I don't have to do anything but..." his confident tone flowed over Liz like honey, "fuck you raw." His blue eyes flicked to hers, a hedonistic glint within. "That's the direction I'm going. Alright with you, baby?"
Red's free hand slipped beneath the cloth covering her body shoving the material up and out of his way, grasping the rounded curve of her plump round ass.
"...Yes!" Liz moaned her encouragement, her heart thudding in her chest cavity. She loved it when he took charge. "Do that..." she whispered meekly, her eyes closing with the rapture presented.
Smoothing his hand under the light fabric, Red skimmed his fingers against the soft skin of her thigh before inching upward. "That's nice and warm." His tone sent tiny shivers up her arms. "Bet it's wet and hot as well..." his fingers grasped at the edge of the panties, his brow furrowing. "I want those damned things out of my way." He growled his frustration,
A snarling grunt tore from his throat as the thin fabric ripped away. Dropping the filmy cloth to the floor, Red hiked her leg over his hip, dragging her warm little body against his.
Shoving her long skirts out of his path, Red panted when the dark patch between her legs came into view. "The most beautiful sight in the entire universe." He mumbled, unable to look away. "I want to nuzzle my face into that lush bush. Remember how it felt, baby? When I did?"
He couldn't prevent his finger from shoving slowly up that creamy canal. "I remember." He breathed out his growing involvement, his eyes fixed, his efforts concentrated. "I remember the taste of that salty, sweet cream, too."
What man, in his right mind, wouldn't love to drown themselves in that ambrosia. Images of burying his face between her white thighs flashed in his mind's eye. It was a fantasy he would fulfill before day's end, he knew.
Rocking her hips forward, Liz rubbed her swollen vulva against the bulge of Red's hidden cock, wetting the linen of his slacks with her arousal. The dark patch grew in size, outlining his erection to perfection. "You're getting me all wet here." A tiny smile twitched his lips.
"Needy little pussy..." Red growled his approval. Grasping her ass, he aided the woman in her efforts, pushing and swiveling his hips against the thrumming surface erotically. "Feels good, doesn't it." He rasped shakily.
Though his mind yelled at him to slow down, to savor the moment and love Elizabeth all the ways he had imagined over the years... their flesh demanded otherwise, and Red had no illusions about being able to control anything at this point.
If Lizzy's desperate little mewls and needy pout of her lips weren't proof enough, the small pussy rocking greedily against his hardness sure as hell was all the proof he needed.
Even through the linen of his trousers, Red could feel the heat pouring off her humid cove as the damp spot grew in size.
Besides, there was something inherently erotic about feeling her booted foot digging into his ass. Hadn't felt that in a while. His appreciation for her dress designer rose exponentially. It was as if the woman was spurring him on in his attempts to finalize consummation of the emotions which burned inside the man.
"Dammit..." he cursed his lack of willpower as he hurriedly released his fat erection to the cool air. "I'm gonna fuck you..." He hissed through clenched teeth, unsure if it were a vow made or warning. "I'm going to make you come so hard for me, baby."
Thankfully, Lizzy didn't seem distressed by the idea in the least.
"Yes..." she panted against his mouth, "yes, do that."
Pushing against Lizzy's pussy eagerly rubbing along his shaft, Red hissed as her soft crease enfolded his girth. Grasping his cock in hand, he guided the throbbing head through the dark curls to tease her clit. He felt a certain pride as his shaft came into view, slick with her juices.
Watching Red's face contort into one of tortured ecstasy, Liz clung to the man's broad shoulders, biting eagerly at his swollen lip. Tonguing the love bite, she sucked it lovingly, kissing the pain away.
"I want..." he panted, clinging desperately to her small frame, his large palms encasing her ass cheeks lovingly, "I need to taste you."
"...Later," Liz wrapped her leg tighter about his waist, "I want you inside me..." the breathless plea tore from her raw throat, "I really need that, Red..."
"Oh, is that what you need." His tone was husky and raw. "Then come here." He snarled. "I'll give you, and your tiny pussy, exactly what it needs."
Understanding her part to play, Liz hurriedly wrapped her other leg about his hip, clinging to him desperately. Growling her discontent she wasn't as close as she wished, she reached about, tugging her boots free before Red could blink.
Readjusting his grip on her rounded cheeks, Red lowered the woman to the very tip of his straining cock. His crown wept with joy as it aligned perfectly with the snug hole and inched inward into the steamy sheath.
"Fuck..." he growled as he felt the small opening close tightly around the fat bulb, creating an incredible vacuum. He groaned, gasping brokenly. "Fuck...you're so tiny." The man closed his eyes, savoring. "... So tight for me." His smile erupted as he held onto the pleasure allotted him. "I know this! I remember...this."
Squeezing his eyes tight, Red tamped down his needs, gently rocking up into the wet warmth. His vision wavered as the suction of the snug embrace tugged at his sack and prostrate, sending electric jolts through his limbs.
"Deeper..." Liz begged, nuzzling her nose into Red's neckline. "Please... fuck me..." She squirmed about anxiously.
"No..." he fought against the increasing lust, kissing her jawline with lingering affection. "Not...that. Not..." He shook his head. "Our reunion should be..." He grimaced because he knew he was fighting against odds he very likely would not win. "Gentle...soft..." he had to make this memorable. "It's been so long, baby...so fucking long since I've had you in my arms."
Wishing for nothing more than to experience Red's passion, Liz's brow furrowed critically, wondering how to get it through to the man... she wanted to feel him lose himself within her body.
She needed to feel him claim her.
It drove her crazy sometimes Red treated her like she was a piece of delicate porcelain. Even now, Liz felt the muscles in his body straining and shaking as he fought against his needs to tenderly work his cock into her body.
Nuzzling her face into his neckline, Liz inhaled his deeply masculine scent as her mouth skimmed his hot flesh. "You promised you would...fuck me." She breathed out, groaning her growing misery. "You promised."
He was so protective... an Alpha male.
"God baby..." Red groaned, "damn... you're so tight." He whispered his awe. "I can feel every fucking...convulsion."
Given the opening needed, Liz grabbed for it. "Now do you believe him..." she murmured, "that Ba'al didn't touch me." She knew how to get her way suddenly.
Grunting under his breath, Red tightened his hold on Lizzy's waist, gingerly inching his way back high into the snug cavern, his brow furrowing darkly for the unnecessary reminder.
Brushing her lips against his, Liz nuzzled her cheek against his rougher one, enjoying the prickly sensation. "I haven't been with anyone, I promise..."
Red's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. "Since fucking Ressler, you mean." He sneered.
Feeling Red's body tense, Liz barely contained her smile of triumph. Triggering Red's jealousy was a dangerously foolish thing to do, but it thrilled the woman that she could tap into those hidden depths when another woman might not be able to do so.
Adopting an innocent expression, Liz slowly pulled back, lowering docile eyes.
"It was only that one time..." she murmured softly, not denying the accusation, pushing the man's buttons to perfection, "...I don't know why I did that, Red." She bit her lip seductively. "I only wanted you."
She felt a thrill shoot from her nipples down into her core that left her already sensitive center heavy and aching when Red's eyes lit with fire as his jaw flexed angrily.
Unable to prevent the sudden images of that fucking prick touching Lizzy as intimately as he was now, Red's fingers curved inward around Lizzy's ass cheeks until he was certain the color had bled from his tightly bound fists.
Feeling Red's hands tighten about her ass, Liz wriggled helplessly as the tips brushed against the crinkle of her anus, heightening her arousal.
"I don't know why you did it, either." Red wanted to beat Ressler to death with his bare hands for touching what rightfully belonged to him. "And we'll discuss it later...in depth, but know this." He growled his fury. "My cock...will be the last one you'll ever feel." He thrust upward, shoving hard into Lizzy's heat rather enjoying the woman's gasping moan.
Pushing off the wall, Red lifted Lizzy's her ass upward, lifting her almost off his arousal, then quickly shoved her down against his upward thrust... pummeling the small opening with wild abandon...stroke after hardy stroke.
Unable and unwilling to contain herself, Liz cried out, sharing her enjoyment with her lover. She couldn't find it in herself to give a shit the cavernous space amplified the echo of her warbling cries, or that the others outside might hear her downfall.
All she cared about was with each cry of passion she released, it encouraged Red to bounce her harder and faster off his driving shaft.
"I missed this little pussy..." Red grunted as he licked and nibbled the dip of her shoulder. "It's so giving..." He grunted as the wet sound of him fucking her grew in volume with each thrust. "So warm and wet for me."
"Harder, Red..." Liz mewed as she aided the man in his efforts. "Take what's yours..."
"Don't think I don't know what you're doing..." Red grunted. Unable to withstand the pleading cries of the woman, nor the intense and growing need he felt building inside his balls, his resolve snapped faster than a sheered bolt. "Thank you, baby." He rasped shakily. "I needed...this!"
Shoving through the tender cushion wrapped so snug around him, he growled as his crown slid along a swollen nub inside the woman's body.
"Help me..." He urged, pushing hard against the tiny outjut, enjoying Lizzy's whimpers of delight to the fullest.
"Right there, right there, right there!" Liz's face contorted, her rapturous bliss on full display. Working her hand between them, she briskly rubbed her clit, tightening her core around the fat cock fucking her.
"God, baby." Shaking off the sweat pouring down his face, Red braced his arm against the wall, lifting the woman eye-level. "Yes, rub your clit... make yourself come for me!" He gritted through clenched teeth.
As if the sensation of Lizzy's cream running freely down his shaft and balls wasn't incentive enough, her hot core fluttering around him was just what he needed to let go and enjoy the ride.
"I'm gonna come..." her breathless promise burst from her raw throat, as the tension built inside her. Her body burned for something only this man could give. "Oh, fuck...I'm coming...I'm coming..." she babbled almost incoherently.
Feeling the woman seize in his arms, Red tightened his hold as his own rhythm faltered. Thrusting upward, he stilled, growling a guttural cry as liquid heat burst from the swollen split of his cockhead.
"Fuck!" he snarled as heat poured from his crown. "Yes..." he hissed a harsh release, basking in the intensity.
Feeling the thick pulses of Red's hot release fill her center, Liz gasped as her body quivered around the throbbing shaft.
Chuckling tiredly, Red hugged Lizzy close, his arms bands of security about the small body. The woman wriggled about, pushing her ass flush against his pelvis. Her core tugged and rippled around the meaty rod, enticing it to give her every last drop.
"Baby..." he smoothed her dampened hair, the smile still on his lips, "I'll give you everything I got... don't you worry 'bout that."
Their sharpened breathing gradually slowed until both inhaled shakily, allowing their bodies to come down gradually from such an incredible high.
Gingerly unwrapping her legs from Red's waist, Liz slowly lowered to the floor until her feet came in contact with the cool marble. Still wobbly from her tight embrace on his body, and her orgasm. Liz's knees buckled slightly.
Red caught her warm body in his arms before gathering her against him. "You have the same effect on me." He grinned, his mood a hundred times better suddenly.
Tucking her head under his chin, the sound of his beating heart lulled Liz as it slowed from its rather vigorous workout.
Lowering his mouth to hers, Red kissed her swollen mouth for some long few moments before reluctantly pulling back.
Moving her skirts aside, he slipped his hand between her thighs. Ignoring her startled gasp, he captured her parted mouth with his own.
"This is mine..." his dry throat rasped, petting her still swollen vulva. His heart calmed as he felt their combined release covering the soft down. "It belongs to me..." his roughed voice declared. His eyes sought hers, conviction deep within. "You belong to me."
Red's eyes softened as the woman pushed into his touch and sighed contentedly.
"And you...belong to me, Mr. Reddington." Liz murmured lovingly against his mouth.
Lizzy lifted her chin for more kisses, which Red gladly provided.
"Got no problem with that..." Red felt that with every fiber of his being.
Rubbing her hand along his back, Liz gasped, curving her fingers into the soft flesh. "Red... the... the scars."
Grimacing, Red sighed heavily. "Don't worry." He assured, remembering when Lizzy first felt them, she was concerned she would hurt him. "They don't hurt, I–"
"No," Liz lay her palm flat against his back, "no, they're not there!"
Craning his neck over his shoulder, Red scowled, just then realizing... he could feel Lizzy's touch.
"They're... gone?" Red turned his back to her, allowing her an unfettered view.
"They are!" Liz swiped at the tears pouring from her eyes. "They're not there! Not even a hint!" She beamed a smile before leaning to press a kiss to the unblemished surface.
Gasping at the sensation, one he hadn't felt in years, Red closed his eyes... overwhelmed beyond belief.
Clearing his throat of the overpowering emotion, Red laughed quietly. "So... what do you think," he nuzzled his nose against hers, "of the new improved... old me."
"I loved you, just the way you were," Liz assured, but looked over Red's body, a slow smile tilting her mouth. "I guess this version will do in a pinch, though."
Smoothing a finger over Lizzy's younger, fresher flesh, Red chuckled. It was odd, but it wasn't until he noticed the absence of Lizzy's laugh lines did he realize how much he had loved them. Now that they weren't there, the difference didn't make him love her any less.
He truly didn't care. Nothing aside from being here, with her in his arms, mattered.
Resting his cheek against Lizzy's hair, Red closed his eyes, content in the silence.
Standing here now with Elizabeth snuggled close, Red couldn't help wonder what the purpose of their lives had been exactly? Both had suffered and lost everything for... what?
Conspiracies and lies? It pissed him off to think they wasted so much of their life to something so meaningless. Governments, wars, and politicians came and went. When one faction died or faded away, another would take its place.
The sacrifices they made in hopes of salvaging, trying in vain to save an ungrateful world, had been too much. The pain inflicted, the misery suffered, the blood spent... it was too damn much.
"No more..." he muttered. "No more lies," he continued, kissing her temple, "no more half-truths... no more hiding."
Content with the words spoken, Liz rubbed her cheek against Red's chest. "No more." She repeated wistfully.
At the end of the day, nothing else in life was as important as holding the one you loved, safe in your arms. It was sad and sickening they had to suffer such great losses to finally understand that.
While it was impossible to correct all that had been damaged, there was one error they could rectify.
Tightening his arms about Elizabeth, Red whispered a wish he, too, knew Lizzy felt with all her heart.
"I want our baby back..."
Author Note: I've had an ongoing fever for days, so if there are any mistakes... you know why. :D