Title: Sick

Author: thousand-miles

Rating: K

Disclaimer: Don't own any of these characters those I wish I would

Summary: Lizzie doesn't show up for a meeting. Red is worried and finds her.

A/N: Another one shot. I love sweet caring Red. I love it when he takes care of Lizzie and that is why I wrote this one shot. I hope you enjoy. Reviews are appreciated.

Sick

He'd been sitting on the bench in the park for more than an hour now. He was worried. She was late and she was never late. He'd called her several times now but she wasn't answering any of his calls. Something must have happened. His heart constricted in his chest by the mere thought of his Lizzie hurting somewhere. He signalled towards Dembe who immediately started towards the car with Red only a few steps behind her. In the car, Dembe looked in the rear view mirror for instructions.

"Let's the take the route she would have taken to her home." He instructed his loyal friend.

On their drive to Lizzie's apartment they found nothing out of the ordinary. No clues as to where she might be. He called his associates hoping one of them knew something, but they knew nothing. They arrived at her home and Dembe and Red quickly exited the vehicle. Standing in front of her door he could hear Hudson barking. Something was wrong. He quickly picked the lock and drew his gun. He nodded at Dembe, to follow him. Guns drawn they quietly stepped into the small hallway. Hudson greeted them immediately. He was whining and bumped his nose against Red's lower leg. Still unsure if the situation was safe the dog was a hindrance. He signalled to Dembe again, telling him to continue clearing the apartment. Red crouched down and lifted Hudson in his arms. That's when he heard it. Her voice, almost as soft as a whisper. He immediately put Hudson back on the ground again. Without really thinking it through he rushed to where he heard her voice. He barged in, his heart thudded loudly in his chest, afraid of what me might find. What he found was not what he'd expected. He'd expected to find her victim of an attack, fighting for her life and being too late to safe her. She was lying in her bed though, covered by her sheets, her head only barely visible. From what he could see of her, she didn't seem hurt. He immediately walked to her bed crouched down so he could clearly see her. That's when he saw how pale and sweaty she looked.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" He asked. She didn't answer him. She merely looked at him with tear filled eyes. He couldn't help her though without knowing what was wrong with her.

Hearing a sound behind him he looked over his shoulder. Dembe was standing in the doorway. He nodded at Red. Red was about to stand up when her hand reached out from under the blanket and took hold of his wrist.

"Don't go." She whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere. I just want to talk to Dembe for a moment, okay? I'll stay in the room so you can see me. Is that okay?"

She nodded and followed him moving away from her. Red kept his eyes on her too while speaking to Dembe.

"Area is secure. Doesn't seem like there has been any disturbance." Dembe looked at the woman whom he'd come to see and cared for as a sister. "What's wrong with her?"

"Not entirely sure, but my guess is that she's got the flu."

Dembe nodded at that. He knew he was not needed anymore. "I'll take Hudson. You take care of Agent Keen. Call me if you need anything."

Red put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will. Thank you my friend." He watched Dembe lifting Hudson in his arms and leave.

"Red?" Lizzie called out for him. She felt horrible. She'd hardly slept due to a horrible cough. She had a cold and now she either was too hot or she couldn't get warm. She had the flu. She just wanted him to make her feel better, wanted him to take care of her.

"I'm here." He said, crouching down next to her bed again. "Want to tell me now what's wrong?"

"I feel horrible." She said and turned slowly on her back. She grabbed a tissue from the box she'd put next to her.

Red stood from his crouched position to sit down on the edge of the bed. He could really see her now. Her eyes were watery, her nose red, her hair sweaty. He gently placed his hand on her forehead. She was warm. "You got the flu, Lizzie." He concluded, looking down into her beautiful blue eyes.

She sniffed when she saw his concern for her in his eyes. "I thought you wouldn't come for me."

"I'll always find you. I'll always come for you." He paused for a moment. He saw her reaching for his hand and he held hers in his. "How about I make you some tea and toast?"

She nodded. She knew she needed to eat and drink. But all she really wanted was to be wrapped in his embrace and forget about the world around her. She didn't really recognize this clingy side of her. While she'd been married with Tom she'd had the flu twice but she'd never wanted him anywhere near her. However since last night, since she'd started to feel sick, all she'd been thinking about was him. At one point, right after an awful coughing fit, she'd even considered calling him. She'd stopped herself just in time though. But now that he was here, she wasn't sure if she could stop herself.

Red left her alone in her bedroom and went to the kitchen. He put on the tea kettle to boil some water and put some bread in the toaster. In her fridge he searched for some jam to put on the toast. That's when he heard a soft noise behind him. He looked up immediately and spotted Lizzie. She was wearing sweats and a hoodie and had her blanket wrapped tightly around her. In her hand she held a tissue. She shuffled towards him. He immediately walked up to her and took her elbow. "What are you doing up, Lizzie? You should stay in bed." He said while guiding her to the chair to sit down.

"I thought you left." She muttered.

"I was making you some tea and toast."

"Okay."

"Let's take your temperature to see if you have a fever." He suggested. Seeing her small nod he walked to her bathroom and found the thermometer. "Open wide." He said, winking at her as he held the thermometer out to her.

She obliged without any objection. She watched him move around her kitchen and when there was a beep, he was back in front of her. Taking the thermometer he looked at it. Only a slight fever. He was relieved. "Only a slight fever. You'll be all right."

"Don't feel like it." She mumbled. She felt tired again. She put her arms on the table and her head on her hands.

With her tea in his hand and the plate with toast in the other he saw Lizzie lying with her head on the table. He quickly put the tea and toast down again. He rubbed her back softly. "Let's get you back to bed." He gently took her by the elbow and pulled her up. She leaned completely against him, her hands gripping his shirt almost making the blanket fall off of her. But he grabbed it just in time. She seemed unsteady on her feet. That's when Red lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bed. He gently put her down. "Stay awake for a bit, okay? I want you to drink and eat something." He quickly returned from the kitchen and sat down on the bed.

Lizzie was leaning heavily against the headboard of her bed. "I'm not hungry." She said, looking at the toast.

"Just eat a few bites, okay? You need to eat something." He watched her closely as she ate half of the toast. He then handed her the tea, which she sipped carefully. She finished her tea and gave him the glass back.

"Get some sleep, Lizzie." Red said. He took the plate of toast and her now empty tea glass and was almost out of her bedroom when she called out to him. He turned around in the doorway. "Yes, Lizzie?"

"Don't leave me." She pleaded with him.

That was the second time already that she was afraid he would leave her. He wondered where that was coming from. Was it because she felt miserable or was she always afraid that he would leave her? Did she fear he would leave because she needed him? How he wanted the answer to that question to be yes. "I won't. I'll be right back."

"Promise?"

"I promise, Lizzie. I'll be right back."

And he did return quickly. He sat back down on the edge of her bed again, almost touching her hip. He put his hand on the other side of her hip on the sheet. He just watched her. She was trying hard to keep her eyes open. "Go to sleep. I'll be here."

"Where's Hudson?"

"Dembe's got him. Remember?"

"Yeah." She said sleepily.

He was running his hand over her hair. The soothing motion making it even more difficult to stay awake. "Go to sleep."

"Stay with me." She whispered.

"I will."

"No." She shook her head. She started to move, but his hand on her hip prevented her from doing what she wanted too.

"Go sleep." He said once more.

She weakly grabbed his hand from her hip and pulled on it. There wasn't any strength to it though and Red hadn't moved.

He didn't understand what she wanted. She didn't want him to leave. Did she not want him to touch her? Was she deliberately removing his hand from her hip? He started to move back, but her weak grip on his hand tightened. "What is it sweetheart?" He asked her, his head titled to the side.

"I want you to stay." She was getting frustrated.

"I am staying."

"Stay in my bed. Hold me." She finally said.

She rendered him speechless. She wanted him to sleep with her. He wanted to, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. She was only asking because she was feeling miserable. She seemed to need him to take care of her. Normally she wanted to show him her independence. He didn't want her to be mad at him for this. "I'm not sure if this is what you really want."

"I need you, Red."

He wondered if she knew what those words did to him. Wondered if she said them and knew he couldn't refuse her anything. He nodded at her and stood up. He removed his suit jacket and vest. He pulled his shirt from his pants, unbuttoned it and removed it. He sat down on the chair that was near the bed and removed his shoes and belt. He kept his eyes on her the entire time, just like she watched his every move. Placing his clothes on the chair he walked to the bed. He was now in his pants and white shirt. He slid in the empty side of the bed. As soon as his back hit the matrass, Lizzie moved to him, wrapping her arm around his waist, her other hand gripping his shirt. She'd thrown her leg over his thigh and put her head on his shoulder. She sighed against his neck in contentment. "Thank you." She whispered, her breath teasing his neck. She'd fitted her entire body against his.

He bit back a groan. Her small frame fit perfectly against him. "Sleep, sweetheart. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Mmm.." She hummed before sleep took over.

Red indulged himself, running his hand through her hair before he softly kissed her forehead. "I'll always be here, Lizzie." He whispered against her sleeping form. From the way her grip on him tightened for a moment he wondered if she'd heard him. He listened to her soft breaths and it wasn't long before his eyes closed, sleep catching up with him also.

The End