Born A Monster // The Blacklist

You're The Reason I Need Protection // 7

"Radely." Dembe shook me awake.

"Huh?" I shot up from the desk. He smiled and said, "time to get up."

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. What am I doing here, with me life, with Reddington. The only reason you need protection is because of him.

I went to the bathroom down the hall. The bathroom I had called 'mine'. After taking a shower, drying my hair, and getting dressed I went out to the kitchen.

I saw him reading the morning newspaper and drinking tea. "Would you like some?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the paper. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable yesterday."

"It's fine." I said with no emotion. He sighed and took a sip from his mug.

"No it's not."

I didn't argue with him. After all it's pointless to argue with Raymond Reddington. If you do and you're not exactly a friend, you end up dead.

He finally set the papers down and looked at me. "You look so much like your mother." My eyes shot up and my heart flew out of my chest. "You knew her?"

He remained emotionless. "Yes I knew her." He said slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"Tell me about her." I begged. He was already regretting what he said. "Her name was Beatrice." I rolled my eyes, I knew he was lying.

"Can you tell me my real last name, please?" I had always questioned the people at the underground training system when I was younger, but all the response I got was "we're your family now".

"No; that will put you in grave danger, and I can't protect you if you're told." He said. I slumped back into my chair.

My stomach grumbled. "There's pancakes in there." He said, motioning to the kitchen. "I hate pancakes." I mumbled before going to go look for something else.

••••••••••••

I had it all mapped out. I knew that he had just gotten released from the hospital five days ago. "He's most likely staying here." Red pointed to a motel on the map. "But he sometimes will spend the night at Liz's place." I said.

"Yes, I will have a meeting with Lizzie tonight, when the extraction will take place. We have a team set up around the clock. All you to do is lure him in."

I nodded it had been a long time since I'd 'seduced' someone. "But what if he won't-"

"No." Red states flatly. "Don't think like that."

"Reddington?"

He looked up. "What is it?"

"Can you tell me something if I bring him to you?" He sighed and scratched his cropped hair. "It depends."

"Depends on what?" I drawled. He laughed, but this was for show. He truly wasn't amused. "You have a personality disorder." I said.

"No I don't, I just don't like showing who I truly am." He admits.

"Can you tell me why you're in my life, still?"

He frowned, put on his hat on, and walked out the door.

"Why? How are we connected? "
"That is just a distraction."
"No! That is all that matters! This is my life! Tell me!"
-The Blacklist (Milton Bobbit)