AN: Right, so I have scoured the fandom for anything like this, as the Russian storyline, annoyingly short as it may be, is probably my favorite, and the closest thing I've found is Masha Rostova or Elizabeth Keen, and that has two chapters and was updated four years or so ago. The basic premise, at least now, I reserve the right to change it later, is that I find it hard to believe that Katarina, who both was KGB and knew who Reddington was, wouldn't make some sort of failsafe for her daughter in case the cabal, or anyone else, wishing her harm due to her heritage. I'm more of a pen to paper kind of guy, rather than planning things out in advance, so, at least in the beginning, I really have about as much of an idea where this is going as all of you. Also, I would like to point out I am a history major, so I have no bloody clue how the USSR or modern Russian government works, so please understand this is very AU, and my knowledge of government is limited, and mostly shored up by TV. Just wanted to get that out there. Also, my creativity when it comes to names is rather lacking, so most names will probably be pretty stereotypical. Last thing I promise, the only research I will be doing is re-watching Blacklist episodes, so I don't know who is in power outside of the big names, in either Russia or the States. Sorry for the very long AN, but I wanted to make sure that all these things were clear from the beginning, and without further ado, let the story begin.

Auditorium somewhere in Washington DC

Her ears were ringing and she couldn't move. As her head cleared ever so slightly, she saw the vague outline of a woman in front of her, and, as she stood there, she realized the woman was her mother, ex KGB operative Katarina Rostova. Her mother came into focus as she moved forward to hug her.

keen

It was then that she noticed that she was her four-year-old self. "Masha," her mother held her by her shoulders, looking into her eyes, "Masha, you must listen to me, I don't have much time until he comes to get you." Elizabeth was confused, she had never had a memory from this time in her life as vivid as this one, she didn't know what was going on and was trying to figure that out, but then her mother continued to speak, interrupting her thoughts, "If you are ever in trouble, and your father can't help you, go to any Russian governmental building and ask for Sergei Petrov, on operation Red Hammer. This will put in motion a chain of events that I've set up, that no one, except the highest authority, as well as myself, can stop. You must remember this," at that moment, Elizabeth saw a man come into view, he seemed familiar, but she couldn't seem to make her brain work, couldn't make out more than an outline, everything outside of direct focus was fuzzy and indecipherable.

keen.

"Katarina, I have to take her now, I'm sorry." Her mother said something to the man, who she guessed was her father, her biological father, he nodded, and she turned to Elizabeth again. "Masha, my dear, sweet daughter, I don't know if you will ever see me again, but know this, I love you very much, and I am proud of you."

Keen.

Elizabeth was pulled away by the shadowy figure of her father, into the gloom beyond her memory's comprehension. She wanted to turn around, to see her mother one last time, but she couldn't. She wanted to fight, to scream, anything, but she just couldn't. Her vison faded to black…

"Keen!"

The world came back into focus. Her ears were still ringing. She was still in the auditorium. Her hands were trembling. Her gun was still in her hands, and as she watched as the newly sworn in Attorney General slumped to the ground, dead, it fell from her loose grasp, seemingly in slow motion.

"KEEN!"

She sluggishly turned to the side, where she saw Cooper standing there, looking at her in shock, and trying to get her attention. Distantly, she heard the sounds of people moving closer, but she didn't register the implications, nothing made sense, yet. Everything was moving too quickly, her mind needed time to catch up, one thing was clear though, that was time she didn't have.

She finished looking towards Cooper, and he said one thing,

"Run."

And she did. She trusted Cooper, though she had just betrayed his trust, probably completely and irreversibly. She ran out of the building, and down street for a few minutes, until she felt safe enough to slow to a walk, but she kept moving, always moving, away from the building where she became everything the cabal had branded her to be: a traitor. It wouldn't matter that Connolly was a member of the cabal, even if he was a low ranking one, to most people, the cabal didn't even exist. She had gunned down the Attorney General for no reason, that's all the people would know and remember. That's how the news would portray it.

As she walked down the street, she palmed a cellphone from a stroller, and dialed the one number she knew could save her.

Line Break

Unknown Location, code name: The Post Office

Ressler was still reeling from being made the interim head of the taskforce, but was determined to do everything he could to help Keen out of the mess the cabal had created for her. He was walking to the main area when he heard a soft, "Oh, no." He turned and saw Aram, looking as pale as he had ever seen him. "What is it, Aram?" he demanded. "Oh, uh, Agent Ressler, I, uh…" he sighed in defeat, "You had better come see this, sir." Ressler walked swiftly over to Aram's desk, and on his computer he saw a breaking news report, "…Where new Attorney General Tom Connolly has just been shot dead, videos caught FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen, who is suspected in the assassination of senator Hawking, fleeing the scene…" Ressler tuned the rest of the report out, stunned at what his partner had done. "Oh, Keen, what have you done?" He muttered, "Did you say something, Agent Ressler?" Aram asked, Ressler just shook his head and walked to the front of the room. He rested his head against one of the glass boards there for a moment, then turned around. "Okay, everyone, listen up! From this point forward this taskforce has one objective only: find and arrest FBI Agent Elizabeth Keen." His announcement was met by stunned silence, and he glared at the room in general, until people quickly started doing whatever they could to seem busy.

Ressler knew in his heart that Keen had to have had a reason to shoot Tom Connolly, most likely scenario was that he was a member of the cabal, but he knew that that would be almost, if not, impossible to prove. This was not helped by the fact that he himself only knew of the existence of the cabal due to the man the taskforce was created for, FBI most wanted No. 4, Raymond Reddington. He sighed, no, there was no way to prove that Keen had done anything less than a traitorous act, but he knew Keen was no traitor. At least, that's what his heart said. His mind, the mind of a jaded, cynical and professional FBI Agent questioned that. Given the new information about Keen's past that had come to light over the past few years, from her father's previously unknown criminal record, to the startling news that she apparently had been born in Moscow and the fact that Elizabeth wasn't even her birth name, it was apparently Masha. That, combined with the interest Reddington had in her, himself a known traitor, had Ressler's mind warring with his heart.

Line Break

Somewhere in Washington DC

"I need your help." The desperation in her voice must have been clear, for there was no joking reply from the other end. "Where are you, Lizzy?" She looked around, "4th and Emerson," she answered, "Meet me at the park three blocks down, I'll be there in ten minutes. Hang on, Lizzy, it's going to be okay." She nodded, though she knew he couldn't see her, and the line went dead. As calmly as she could, she continued walking down the street towards the park. Even though her heart was beating so hard she thought it would burst out of her chest, no one started pointing, no one screamed, in fact, no one was really paying her any attention at all, even with her new paranoia and the fac that her face was all over the news. Calmly, she threw away the phone as she walked, and before she knew it, she was sat on a park bench, waiting.

Line Break

"Change of plans, head for the park at 7th and Emerson, and hand me the phone," the driver handed the man in the back the phone. After dialing, the man waited for the person on the other line to pick, and spoke without preamble when they did, "Be prepared to go." His message sent, he broke the phone in half and tossed it out the window.

Line Break

Elizabeth was hyper alert when the car pulled up in front of her. She mentally cursed herself for leaving her gun behind, and thus herself at a grave disadvantage. She was preparing to fight, or run, when the rear door opened and out stepped her savior. Letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, she gave the man a weak smile as he approached the driver side door and gave the man driving a hug and kiss on the cheek, before the driver got back in and drove away, leaving the two behind. "Why did you send him away," Elizabeth asked, "I thought we were leaving?" The man smiled at her and pat her hand. "I've no doubt that when you fail to turn up or turn yourself in quickly, the cabal will realize that you have come to me, and with that in mind, they will be looking for two men and a woman, as I do not lightly part for my bodyguards, as you well know." Elizabeth nodded, that did make sense. Only now, sitting next to one of the few people she knew would protect her no matter what, Elizabeth allowed herself to relax, and her eyes drifted slowly shut. It seemed only moments later that she was being shaken awake, to see a nondescript van parked in front of them, waiting. "Come on, Lizzy, its time to go." Mumbling her assent, she stumbled forward towards the van, leaning on the man next to her. After they got in the van, she leaned her head on his shoulder and allowed her eyes to drift shut once more. As she entered the realm of Morpheus once again, her mind began to wander, going back over the day, wondering were things went so wrong. As her mind drifted, her eyes shot open and her head whipped around to look at the man sitting next to her.

Line Break

Unknown Location, code name: The Post Office

Donald Ressler was not having a good few days. First his partner is accused of treason, and while he was trying to clear her name, she goes and shoots the new Attorney General, actually confirming, in the eyes of the public, that she was a traitor. "Somebody give me an update! Aram!" The man started, then furiously started typing, "Well, no one has reported seeing Agent Keen since she left the auditorium, and I haven't gotten a warrant for the traffic cams yet, but that shouldn't be too long now, with any luck." Disappointed, Ressler nods and looks around, but no one seems to have anything more that what has already been said. "Well, when someone gets something, I want to be the first to know about it!" There was a collective nod and a few mumbled affirmations. He huffed and moved to the front, staring at the mugshot of Elizabeth Keen, his partner and now his quarry, that he had taped there himself, "Where are you, Keen? I can't help you if you don't let me," he mumbled, not intending for anyone else to hear him.

"Are you sure you can keep a clear head in all of this?" The voice of Samar Navabi asks from behind him. He whirled around, "What exactly do you mean?" he brusquely asked. "Simply that she was your partner, and its not uncommon to give one's partner allowances that one would not normally give." He stared at her, incredulous, "Elizabeth Keen is a fugitive of the law, a murderer, and a member of the FBI's top ten most wanted. Whether or not she is my partner is irrelevant, I will find her and bring her in, and she will face the due process of law for her actions." Samar looked at him for a few moments, then, "Is" Ressler was confused, "What?" Samar looked him straight in the eyes and said, "You said Keen is your partner, not she was your partner." Ressler was silent for a minute, looking at her, then he said, "Until Elizabeth Keen is tried and convicted of her crimes, I will give her the benefit of the doubt, and so should you. You've known her almost as long as I have, can you really say, honestly, that you don't have one single shred of doubt that she is still being set up and is scared and confused and doesn't know how to react now that people she trusted, people she considered friends, are hunting her down like a dog?"

Samar replied instantly, "No, and neither should you, you're allowing emotion to cloud your judgement, and it is inhibiting your ability to look at the facts objectively."

Ressler's voice was cold when he said, "Don't you have work to do, Agent Navabi?" She looked at him for a few more moments before turning on her heel and walking away.

She's right, you know. You are allowing your feelings about Keen to cloud your judgment of the facts. His mind whispered.

Shut up, I refuse to believe that Keen is a traitor to this country, this is all the cabal's doing, and once they are taken down, Keen will be right back here with us, solving cases. His heart replied.

With you, you mean. His mind retorted.

He didn't bother to dignify that with a response, even in the confines of his own head.

Line Break

"Lizzy?"

"Sergei Petrov, what do you know about him?"

Reddington was silent for a few moments, "Lizzy, where, exactly, did you hear the name, Sergei Petrov?"

"When I shot Tom Connolly, I had a flashback, it was my mother, and she told me that if ever my father couldn't help me and I was in serious trouble, that I should go to a Russian governmental building and ask for Sergei Petrov, so I'll ask again, what do you know about him?"

"Lizzy, while your father can't help you, he has entrusted me with your safety, so I don't think we need to do that just yet."

"You didn't answer my question, who is Sergei Petrov? And don't lie or deflect me, I deserve to know, after all, my mother said he would save my life." She gave him a hard stare, daring him to defy her.

"Very well, Lizzy. I honestly don't know much about him, he is a very well-kept secret in the Russian government, not to mention the rest of the world. All I know is that he is a safety measure put in place by your mother for your protection, should you ever need it. I promise you, Lizzy, that's all I know."

Elizabeth scrutinized him for several seconds, then nodded slightly, satisfied he wasn't leaving anything out. She opened her mouth to ask something else when she was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone. The driver handed Reddington the phone and he answered it. Elizabeth felt a weight settle in her stomach when she saw his expression darken. He ended the call, and broke the phone in half before handing it back to the driver, who threw the pieces out the window. "What's wrong?"

Reddington ignored her and leaned forward to talk with the driver. "Head to the safehouse on 52nd and Elm." The driver nodded and calmly changed course. Elizabeth grabbed him, "What's wrong, I thought we were leaving?"

"My jet is being watched, we'll have to lay low for a few days, until people are less alert. My men will call back when it's safe to go."

Elizabeth felt numb, then she started having trouble breathing. The world was closing in around her, constricting her, crushing her lungs. She felt involuntary tears prick at her eyes, then black started creeping in at the edges. Distantly, she heard Reddington calling her name, but she didn't understand what he said after that. Suddenly the world snapped back into focus, and she looked around. She was sitting on a park bench again, and her head was pressed against Reddington's chest. She listened to the steady beat of his heart for a few moments before he spoke again. "Are you feeling better, Lizzy?" She just nodded her head, fearing that if she opened her mouth to speak the sobs she could feel welling up inside her would come pouring out, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to stop them. "Lizzy, listen to me, you're going to be okay, I'm going to make sure that you're okay. You had a panic attack, nothing more. Everything's okay now." They both knew that things weren't okay, but she felt comforted, knowing he was there and going to protect her. She let out a strangled laugh, and looked up at him, "Just a few weeks ago, I wouldn't have trusted you with taking out my trash, and now here I am, trusting you to protect me from just about everyone." He gave a soft chuckle, but said nothing more, and guided her back to the van.

AN: So I'm going to end it here, both because this feels like a natural endpoint, and because I'd feel like I'm trying to cram in content if I went any further. I know somewhat where I'm headed now, and so I know sort of how I want events to transpire in relation to each other. If you hadn't realized yet, this is going to be very AU, so don't come griping that I messed up the canon timeline or such and such an event went differently in the actual show. I'm going to try to get each chapter to around 3k words of actual content, so that means that sometime I won't update for a bit if I come to a part where I just don't know how I want to tell the story in my head on paper. Of course there will probably be exceptions either way, but I generally want to keep them around 3k. Two last things. First, I don't know if I'm going to keep doing the location things, I'll try, but I'll probably miss one here or there, so don't expect me to be super perfect about those. And second, I know that my writing was kinda all over the place in terms of using names vs pronouns, but I think it turned out all right, so I'll probably keep writing that way. It made sense to me, but let me know if it doesn't make sense everywhere.

AN2: Okay, so I'm writing IAMR Ch. 5 right now, and originally my plan was to write the story and then post each chapter weekly after I did that, but I've decided to post this chapter as both a teaser and so I can get this message out, I would love your ideas as to where I could take this story. I have a general idea on what I want from this story, but I could definitely use Ideas on how to get from point A to Point B, or Z or whatever the hell point is around thirty, well, twenty-five now, chapters ahead. So please, please, please review with Ideas on what you want to see in this story, and I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising that every suggestion will be put into play, but more than likely, more than a few will.