Author's Note: Sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but the daily update pace couldn't go on forever! With the season premiere came other fandom endeavors. ((I DID finally update My Flamingo though, but I had to bump its rating to M, so if you aren't following, it might not have shown up on your blacklist fic list.)) Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you guys are in the mood for some Lizzington fluff. Oh yeah, and a bit of smut too. Honestly, just a bit! I'm a tad predictable, aren't I? Perhaps I should also warn you now that this IS the end, and the epilogue is included too. Alright, well, onward... Let's do this!

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. I'm really terrible about writing these.

Chapter Thirteen

That night, both content and exhausted, Red and Liz fell asleep quickly. Red only woke her once during the night, but it wasn't because of night terrors or sleeptalking. He just wanted to make love again, and Liz was more than happy to oblige.

After slipping back into a dreamless sleep, a few short hours later, Red woke up again and glanced at his watch. He lightly grazed his fingertips over Liz's clavicle and softly whispered into her ear, "Lizzie, wake up."

"Huh?" She eeked out, groggy. "Again? Jesus, Red..."

He chuckled at her bewilderment and climbed out of bed to stand beside her. "Come here," he beckoned, draping a blanket around Liz's bare shoulders. "It's probably a little chilly outside."

Liz silently narrowed her eyes at him, which only served to further his amusement.

He placed a placating kiss on her temple. "Just trust me." He opened the glass door and lead her outside and onto the balcony.

"You're naked too." Liz pointed out, but Red didn't care. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked on.

"Look," he said, pointing toward the water. Far in the distance, where the Atlantic Ocean met the sky, the faintest streaks of salmon and guava-colored light appeared. "Here," Red gestured toward the hammock, smiling. Liz clambered onto it and laid down on her side, leaving plenty of room for Red to gingerly climb in behind her. Never would she have guessed that hammocks were perfect for spooning, but Liz wasn't surprised. She shivered, and Red reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear, and nuzzled the freshly-exposed crook of her neck, warming it with his breath.

Several minutes later, Liz broke through their mutual reverie. "I've never watched the sun rise over the ocean before."

"You haven't? What do you think?" Red asked.

"It's breathtaking."

Red closed his eyes and tightened his grip around her chest. "Then I promise that you'll see many more."

Liz hummed and craned her head backwards, seeking out his lips. After a brief hitch of his breath, Red opened his mouth to her and deepened the kiss. Moments later, he pulled back again. "Sweetheart, about that breathtaking sunrise.. you aren't watching it."

With only her head still turned toward him, Liz coyly batted her eyelashes. "Aren't I?" Her hand snaked behind her to stroke him, confirming her suspicions that he wanted her again.

Red canted his head in feigned admonishment and parroted Liz's tone from moments before. "Again?" Then he smiled and lowered his lips to hers. With a contented sigh, Liz returned her gaze to the ocean, slipping her top leg forward in a silent invitation. Red carefully guided himself back inside of her, and laced his fingers with hers, holding them at her waist. They made love at the exquisitely slow pace of the rising sun, neither climaxing until the world around them was finally bathed in hazy Carolina sunlight.

Still cuddled up on the hammock, Liz spoke over Red's chest, "Let's never go back."

"Sounds good to me."

-...-...-...-

A few short hours later, they were wheels-up on the bumpy private airstrip, on their way back to Virginia. Together, they worked out the details of their cover story for the FBI. With that out of the way, Liz brought up a subject that neither had mentioned all morning.

"They're gone now, aren't they?"

Even without being given context, Red knew exactly what she meant. "It seems so."

"You really think they're gone? Do you have any theories why? Or... do you already know why?" Liz reached behind him to run her fingers over his scalp, distracting him too much to answer right away. Red closed his eyes and leaned into her touch.

"Because I have you."

"You have always had me," Liz pointed out, but she knew what he meant.

"No, I didn't. You could have left. You probably should have, but you didn't."

Liz bit back the urge to refute that statement, and let him go on.

"The terrors are triggered by trauma and fear, and I'm not afraid anymore." Red turned toward her, and Liz could see the liquid emotion in his steady gaze. He continued, "You're my second chance. I don't deserve it, and I'm sure that I'll anger you repeatedly over the years, but... please understand that I'm eternally grateful to have you. I won't be flip about this, and I don't make commitments that I can't keep."

Liz nodded and sniffled, and Red pulled her into a crushing embrace. In that moment, for the very first time, Liz began to imagine their long-term future together. The thought that would have frightened her only days ago filled her with peace.

-...-...-...-...-

Epilogue

For several months, Liz endeavored to keep her relationship with Red a secret, but as time went on, that secret became increasingly difficult to hide. Aram found out, and it wasn't long before Ressler knew as well. Red tried to bribe them into silence, but was surprised to hear that neither had any intentions to out them to Cooper. Not only that, but they were supportive of Red and Liz's relationship as well. They had even predicted it long ago.

A month after that, Red surprised Liz with a return trip to Charleston, to elope. They weren't even engaged yet. When they arrived at Waterfront Park for the small ceremony, Dembe, Mr. Kaplan, Donald, and Aram were already there, waiting for them. They said, "I do" under a live oak dripping with Spanish moss. Afterwards, in lieu of a traditional reception, they built a bonfire on Anders' private James Island beach. They sat around the fire and got drunk and told stories until the sun came up. It was perfect. Red wrapped his arms around Liz and told her that he'd take her somewhere exotic for her next ocean sunrise.

When they returned to Virginia, Liz decided that she wouldn't keep her marriage a secret. She approached Cooper in his office, and laid it all out for him, keeping a firm but calm tone in her voice. She told him that both she and Red were still committed to the taskforce, but if charges were to be brought upon either Red or herself, they'd simply disappear and never be found again. Though understandably wary, since the post office blacksite and the taskforce were still heavily shrouded in secrecy, even from the rest of the FBI, Cooper agreed to stay mum.

A year later, after Cooper was diagnosed with a terminal illness, the members of the taskforce decided that they'd rather disband than be squashed beneath the thumb of a new AD. They kicked things into high gear, taking down as many blacklisters as they could while they still had the FBI's financial and legal backing. After Cooper's premature retirement party, the taskforce went rogue. Red had more than enough money to support them all, so he bankrolled the entire operation until he finally got the answers that he and Liz so desperately needed.

As they neared the truth, Liz and Red were surprised by an unplanned pregnancy. Liz stubbornly insisted on staying in the game for as long as she could, but an ultrasound revealed that they were having twins, and the OB put her on bedrest.

Red bought the James Island mansion, and they moved in immediately. He secretly arranged for Aram to paint a mural in the nursery. Red wanted to surprise Liz with it when she went into labor. When the day finally came, Red unlocked the door and revealed the surprise.

Liz shrieked and howled with laughter, only to double over seconds later with a strong contraction. The mural was a gigantic, psychedelic-colored jellyfish, with a Prada purse suspended from one of its tentacles. "I hope you don't plan on telling the twins that story," Liz said, smiling through gritted teeth.

They were enroute to the hospital when Ressler called with more good news. He had number one detained at their own topsecret blacksite. "Good. Keep him." Red hung up and passed the information to Liz and squeezed her hand. "He can wait. I'm not leaving your side for a second."

Fraternal twins Carolina and James were born ten hours later. The foursome huddled together on Liz's hospital bed. "How perfect," Liz said, "that we'll always each have one to hold."

Red captured her lips with his and added, "And eachother."

-...-...-...-...-

*tackle hugs* Thanks again, you guys. Gosh, this was such a rollercoaster of sappy shipper feels. I hope the epilogue wasn't too contrived. Does it help that we'll have another new episode tomorrow? It sure is helping me!