His Offer, Her Glance

His hand sought hers across the table much like a homing pigeon returns to roost in the safety and security of its home coop. When he placed his hand over hers, undeniable warmth began to flow through his body; he had arrived home. This woman had become his home. He would never again have the long term comfort or security of a traditional home with wood or brick walls, but he would always return to her, if not physically then in the depths of his memory. No matter how many miles separated them he would always seek her spirit and return to the energy she brought to him.

He was captivated by her eyes, the deep blue orbs that sucked him in like a whirlpool and mired him in the tumult of her pain and sadness. The further he fell, the more aware he became of her need; the need to release the anger and confusion that had begun to fester within; the need of relief from the pain that he had brought to her awareness the day he had reentered and disrupted her life. If she had been a weaker woman she would already have abdicated her battered will to the strength of the pain.

She felt the warmth of his hand covering hers like a protective bandage; a bandage applied to stop the hemorrhaging, the hemorrhaging of the woman, Elizabeth Keen. His eyes looked steadily into her unwavering gaze as they sat unmoving across the table from each other. Her heart began to race; then she could feel the warm flush begin to rise upward through her arm, neck and face. Like a rescuer would tighten a tourniquet, he increased the pressure of his hand on hers as she sat unblinking, staring into the depths of his eyes where she became aware of his concern. She unconsciously began to lean toward him as if her body sought the solace and security only he could provide, but when she came in contact with the edge of the table that separated them she was startled from her reverie. Her fingers tensed as she slowly removed her hand from underneath his.

Red spoke first, "Lizzie, let's finish dinner and then we can enjoy a pleasant conversation in a more comfortable location."

Liz made no reply. She drank until she emptied her wine glass; then began absentmindedly pushing the remainder of her dinner around her plate with her fork. Red decided to remain quiet until she made the effort to restart the conversation.

Soon Liz rose and began to clear her dishes from the table; then Red assisted with the cleanup as they loaded the dishwasher and worked side by side to hand wash the larger pots and pans. Despite the lack of verbal communication they each understood the other perfectly. They settled into a comfort zone as they engaged in the dance that occurs when two people try to avoid eye contact with each other: the unintentional fleeting touch of the hands as they passed the dishes to each other, the lingering body contact that occurred when Liz tried to squeeze past Red as he stood between the kitchen sink and the breakfast bar, the giggle that escaped her mouth when she and Red bumped heads as they bent over to place items in the dishwasher. These were the unspoken interactions of two people who were bound by a comfortable familiarity,

When the task was accomplished Liz had yet to say a word and Red was getting impatient. "Lizzie let's go into the library and enjoy the rest of our evening together. I have something I need to discuss with you."

Liz shifted her weight from one foot to the other and replied in an annoyed tone, "Let it go, Red. I don't want to discuss any business tonight. I need a break from the rat race for a few hours. If I'd wanted to continue working in that stifling maze with an unsupportive supervisor I would have just stayed at the office."

"Sweetheart, I have no intention of discussing business related to the Post Office or Berlin." With that being said Red poured a glass of wine for Liz, handed it to her; then poured his tumbler half full of scotch.

When they entered the small yet amply stocked library Liz paused to place her wine glass on the mahogany desktop; then she took a deep breath. The sight and smell of well worn, used books caught her attention. She did not waiver, but walked right over to the bookshelves to peruse the titles of the books while Red took a seat on the overstuffed sofa.

Red settled into the comfort of the sofa, leaned back, crossed his legs and draped his hand holding the tumbler of scotch over the armrest. He canted his head to the side and watched Liz as she scanned the shelves. The corners of his mouth turned up when he noticed the pleasure she enjoyed while browsing through the books.

"Hey, there are some excellent books here. The owner knew what he was doing when he selected and shelved these books. I'd be interested in reading some of them."

"Perfect, Lizzie. Why don't you select a couple and take them with you? I'm sure they will not be missed before they're returned."

Liz sighed as she walked over and sat down on the other end of the sofa opposite Red. She began to play with the colorful plastic bracelet she still wore on her wrist.

"With Agent Malik no longer on the task force, I'm so busy these days that I really don't have time to read. When I do read I just fall asleep and then have to reread each paragraph two or three times. That's not what I call reading, at least not enjoyable reading."

"Lizzie, that brings me to the very thing I wanted to discuss with you. I know you have a few days of leave coming your way. Why don't you throw some clothes in a bag along with a couple of these books? Take an iPod and leave Hudson with me. I have the perfect unoccupied beach house just waiting for company. You deserve the time to relax and unwind, to rid your mind of clutter and to focus on your future. It's time for you to get rid of the decay that is festering within you."

Her gut reaction was to raise her voice, "How dare you. This is my life! You have no business…"

Liz chafed and recoiled at the suggestion that she might not be handling her turmoil well. Her first instinct was to let anger take control yet to her credit she allowed her mind to wander to another place and time when she, as a teen, had spent a memorable vacation at the beach with Sam. The memories bubbled up to the surface as she recalled the beauty and power of the ocean, the deep connection she had forged with her father and the freedom she felt as she explored herself and the woman she was becoming.

Red sat twirling the amber liquid in the tumbler he'd been holding and waited for Lizzie's reaction to his suggestion. He immediately noticed that she left her sentence unfinished so he decided to continue, "I can have my pilot on standby and ready for wheels up as soon as tomorrow morning. That's plenty of time for you to pack your bags, notify the agency and drop off Hudson here with me."

Liz sipped her wine as she considered the offer. She knew that she needed a break. The confusion and depressing atmosphere at work was beginning to get to her. Everyone was still mourning the loss of Mira and struggling with adjusting to the interim director, the oaf, Agent Martin. Most of all she knew she needed more time to come to grips with the chaos of her personal life. Red was correct; she needed to heal herself. She needed a few days off.

Red knew he had won the day when Liz began to pepper him with questions. "Will you be coming with me?"

"No. I have to make a trip and will be gone for a few days. Hudson can stay with the housekeeper."

"Does this beach house have everything I'll need? What will I need to take with me?"

"Lizzie, everything you need will be there. I'll call and make sure you have a rental car, some food and a clean house. All you need to do is make sure you have packed a swim suit or two, a few casual clothes and some good books."

Red smirked as he added, "Who knows you might find a beachcomber or the stowaways from the Minnow. Oh, I forgot. You're too young to remember Gilligan's Island, the Captain and Mary Ann."

His brow furrowed as he focused his thoughts on the old t v show. "Did I ever tell you about the time I got stranded…?"

Liz abruptly cut him off when she finally remembered to ask which beach she would be visiting. Red smiled and said, "The house is located right on the water in a quiet little spot between Seaside and Grayton Beach in the Florida panhandle. At last report the water is clear of seaweed and the sparkling white sand is in pristine condition. You'll have plenty of peace and quiet to rest and relax. This time of year the beaches in that area are not crowded at all."

Liz stretched the purple band of Beth's bracelet then released the band so that it stung her wrist, "O K, you've talked me into a few days of stress relief. I will take you up on your offer, but remember you said you wouldn't be there. I need this time to myself. Tell your pilot to be ready about mid-morning."

While she searched the shelves for a few good reads to take with her, Red picked up his phone and immediately made the calls to his pilot and to the caretaker of the beach property before Liz had a chance to change her mind. When he was finished with the calls it occurred to him that talking Liz into a few days away had been easier than it should have been.

Red's radar kicked in as he watched her lovingly, almost seductively, finger the books. She removed each one gently from the shelf and previewed a few of the pages. When she was sure that she wanted to read a book, she carefully laid it aside and moved on to the next one. Soon Liz had selected five of the books.

She glanced over at him and smirked as he sat thinking, oh what pleasure it would be to be handled in such a fashion. It's such a shame that a woman like Lizzie has been so lacking in male attention.

With another carefully placed glance she said, "Well, I shall have some good company with me while I'm on that secluded beach."

Red felt a twinge of…no, it couldn't be. Not him. He was never touched by the green eyed monster. That was such a base emotion, unworthy of occupying time or space in his mind.

When Liz glanced his way once again, she saw the nervous twitch of his eye and knew that he was flustered.

Liz goaded him, "A penny for your thoughts."

Red avoided eye contact as he replied, "They're not worth a penny."

Soon he heard these words tumble out of his mouth, "Well, sweetheart, if you're ready I can call Dembe to bring the car around or I can offer you a guest room to spend the night. Since you've decided to enjoy the sun and relaxation offered by the Florida coast you'll have plenty of time to pack your bags tomorrow morning."

Red expected her to refuse the guest room, but was once again surprised by her unpredictability when she agreed to stay. "I'll take you up on the offer of the guest room because the concrete walls of the cubicles I've been staying in lately are making me crazy. My claustrophobia is about to spin out of control."

"Well then, may I offer you a night cap?"

"No, but you can offer me clean sheets and a clean t-shirt to sleep in."

"Sweetheart, that's an easy request to fill. If you're ready I'll escort you to your room and find a night shirt for you."

Liz picked up the books she had removed from the library shelves just as Red placed his hand on her lower back and guided her up the stairs to the guest room. When he opened the bedroom door she was beset with the light pleasing scent of jasmine. He allowed her to enter the room first before he followed her in. She immediately stopped to admire the beauty of the room. The space was dominated by a king size bed swathed in luxurious ivory sheets topped with a beautiful hunter green duvet. Directly across from the bed sat a triple dresser and mirror which perfectly reflected the painting that hung above the headboard of the bed.

Liz recognized the painting by the artist, Pino Daeni. The oversize impressionist style painting depicted a scantily clad sensuous woman surrounded by bright engaging colors. The woman was obviously waiting for her lover. As Lizzie's eyes stared at the painting and her mind slowly turned to lustful thoughts, her face began to turn bright pink as warmth and need invaded her body. She remembered that Red was in the room and had been watching her. Naturally he had seen her gazing at the painting and noticed the blush on her face.

"What are you looking at?" she growled.

"My dear, it's quite an engaging painting, isn't it? We should all have such talents." His reference to the scantily clad bosom depicted in the painting was not lost on Liz.

"Too bad there's no room in this bed for a scoundrel tonight. This woman has had her fill of such men."

"Oh Lizzie, beware of the wolf at the door. He can be rather stealth. And on that note please follow me across the hall so that I may provide you with the best night clothes a girl could want."

"Perhaps I should forget the night clothes and simply lose myself in the cool silken sheets. This bed is really large enough for a girl to get lost in comfort."

"Whew." Red didn't have a quick reply to that unexpected comment so he simply walked across the hallway and into his bedroom where he soon found one of his t-shirts. He returned to the guest room and laid the shirt on the bed where Liz had already perched herself.

"Lizzie, I hope you get some sleep tonight amidst those obvious sensual thoughts you're having. You're going to need to be awake to pack for your get away."

"No doubt I will once I snuggle into these sheets. The ones I've been sleeping on lately are so stiff and scratchy I wake up with chaffed skin and very annoyed."

"Ah ha, so that's the reason you growl. You really are becoming a bear. You could've fooled me. And I thought only Papa Bears growled"

When she glared at him, but didn't rise to the bait, he took a chance and reached over to put his hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him, returned a slight smile and replied, "Sleep well, Big Bear. This big girl has to get her beauty rest."

~X~X~

After Red had returned to the library for a nightcap and a cigar, Lizzie had quickly changed into his t-shirt and fallen asleep. As he sat there sipping the numbing amber liquid he thought of Lizzie and the journey she needed to make. He knew he had to let her go, let her go to find herself. He only hoped she would return to him stronger than ever.

Red rose from the sofa and turned out the lights in the library then walked upstairs. As he passed the room where Liz slept he couldn't resist stopping to check on her. He quietly opened the door and walked into her room. He stopped to watch her as she slept. She was so beautiful to him. She had grown from a cute little girl into a strong, gorgeous woman. She was lying on her side with one leg and the lower half of her torso covered by the sheet. Her other leg and the upper part of her chest and back were exposed. He watched as she slowly and rhythmically took each breath, then began to mumble in her sleep. As he stood there looking at her she became very restless. He knew she was dreaming and from the looks of it, she was not having pleasant dreams. He reached down and stroked her arm until he noticed that she was again resting more peacefully. Soon he walked to the door, looked back at the sleeping woman, then proceeded to his room where he fell into a fitful light slumber.

~X~X~

The flames engulfed and consumed everything in their path. She screamed, but no one came. She hid in her room. The heat was melting the doll's face, no it wasn't a doll, it was a man… two men. She screamed louder, but still no one came. The flames licked at the walls of her room, they were chasing her… the bunny in her hand was telling her to run as it began to turn black… there was nowhere to run or hide…the man with the tousled hair and glasses was pointing a gun…at her. The other man had no face. Thick smoke began choking her…

~X~X~

Liz was jolted awake by the terrifying scenes that had invaded the pathways of her mind. When awareness regained control, she swiped her hand across her forehead and felt the beads of perspiration that had appeared there. Her hand began shaking so violently she couldn't turn on the lamp that sat next to the bed. Her heart was racing. She felt nauseated and her breathing was labored. She struggled to catch her breath and tried to yell for help, but no sound appeared. She felt as if a vice grip was squeezing her chest.

Liz tried to remember where she was, but all she could focus on was the terror she felt. When she realized that she was sitting alone in the middle of a huge bed with tears running down her face and shaking in an unfamiliar room she decided to get up and look for help.

She walked on jelly-like legs to the door that was standing partially open and gazed into the hallway. It reminded her of the hallway where she had first seen the fire. She felt the terror all over again, then she remembered. Red was across the hall, there was a light on in the room.

Liz silently walked across the hall and paused at his doorway. The door had been left partially open so she peered inside. Red was lying on his side with his back to the door. She waited to see if he was asleep, but she couldn't be sure, it was too dark.

A new wave of terrifying thought hit her. She didn't hesitate any longer; she approached his bed as if on cat's paws.

Suddenly out of nowhere Red spoke, "Lizzie, what's wrong?"

When he turned over to look at her, even in the dim light he could see that she was as white as the t-shirt he had given her, her eyes were wide and her legs were wobbling.

Red patted the mattress next to him, "Lizzie, sit down here."

She didn't hesitate because she was about to fall to the floor if she didn't sit soon. Red moved one of the pillows he had been resting on so that she could lay her head on it. Liz sat on the edge of the bed and slid under the light blanket that Red was holding up for her.

When she had settled under the blanket her senses came alive. She was now lying next to the man who had disrupted and destroyed her carefully planned, normal life. He had turned to lie on his back making it impossible to avoid him. His body heat radiated to her and the spicy smell of his aftershave was clinging to the pillow where her head now rested. He had even dared to place his arm under her neck and around her shoulder as a gesture of comfort.

"I can't talk about it."

Red let her rest as he felt her clammy body quiver anew. She turned onto her side and buried her face at the base of his neck.

"What the hell am I doing here?"

It felt so good not to be alone, to come home.

AN: Understatement…Liz has issues. All comments welcome.