A/N: Even though I need to post a new chapter for "There's A First Time For Everything," I had to write this in order to make myself feel better as I was so depressed with Liz and Ress being separated in the season finale and Liz being a murderer. I'd hoped that he would end up on the run with her but, he'll now become her hunter. I can only hope his obsession with her will grow and he'll somehow be able to clear her and get her back so they can carry on with their budding, but oh, so epic romance...sigh...stay tuned to see what happens next and hit the comments if you like it.

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

Red watched her from across their breakfast table on the hotel patio. She truly looked awful. He'd watched, worriedly, as her weight dropped, making her appear almost waif like. If they weren't planning to move hotels the next day, he'd have called in a favor to Eleanor Lemieux to give poor Lizzie a weekend at Lemieux's renowned spa. But, for now, he decided the hotel beauty shop would have to do. He had plans for her that he'd just set in motion that morning.

"Lizzie, I arranged for you to spend a few hours at the salon today. Indulge yourself, I also think it's time for a change of hair color, don't you think? Perhaps a warm ginger tone.." He'd spoken too soon and saw the raw emotion play across her sullen face. Realizing his error in mentioning that particular ginger shade of hair color, he quickly corrected himself, "Or blonde...You know what they say about blondes having more fun." Sadly, he watched as her eyes got that far away look and her thoughts drifted away to private, happier times.

They'd been on the run for four months now and she was falling deeper into a depression as each day passed. He'd given her fifteen burner cells up to this point, and knew, without a doubt who she'd been calling each and every time. It angered him to his core, but she continued, so, he'd made sure that she knew the drill. She was to spend no more than two minutes on calls when in the states, and no more than four when out of the country to prevent her hunter from detecting their location.

He could tell exactly when she'd made a call, as afterwards she'd be happy and he'd get a glimpse of her as she was when their lives were more carefree, if that was what you'd even call it. But, it was fleeting. A few hours later she'd become silent and would stare off into space for what he felt was far too long to be considered safe for her countenance. He'd tried to rally her with many quips, quotes and tales of his antics, and, on occasion, he'd wrangle a rare smile or a tiny laugh out of her, but it never seemed to last long as her eyes regained the sad, empty look he loathed. He longed to see the light return in her eyes.

Knowing about the fleeting, feel-good sex Liz had temporarily shared with Tom, he'd even stooped so low as to arrange a meet up with Tom, hoping that would cheer her, but even that didn't seem to bring about a change. She'd grown tired of Tom and his endless prattle about them going off together on his boat, and even though she'd toyed briefly with him before, now, she was bored and tired of him. This pleased him, as Tom was so below Lizzie, and he knew he could never be trusted one hundred percent, especially now that the stakes were so high for all of them. But he worried and fretted for Lizzie.

It was then, after he'd sent her off to bed, in the early hours of the morning, that he finally came to terms with the fact that she'd been pining for her partner this entire time. Tom had just been a temporary diversion during a stressful time. This was, and always had been, all about Ressler! He realized he'd actually known this all along on some instinctual level given the way they'd literally been ripped apart from each other with only minutes warning, the way they were forced to say quick and incomplete goodbyes with the lack to follow through on their growing feelings for each other. This was what had thrown her into a downward spiral and he vowed he was going to try and fix it the best he could. He picked up the phone and called Dembe.

/

Ressler rose, early in the morning to use the restroom. He was exhausted but still couldn't seem to sleep soundly through the night. He was plagued with dreams. They always involved Liz. He would chase her and she'd always be running ahead of him, turning corners and always out of reach. It reminded him of feverish childhood dreams that came with delirium. She was always just out of his reach. Sometimes she'd be calling pleadingly for him and would be in distress needing him to reach her, while other times, she'd fleetingly giggle and laugh and play impish games with him. Then there were the erotic dreams that he was experiencing more and more often. She'd tease him to distraction and then finally let him capture her. He'd ravage her in his dreams and waste no time with pleasantries, the sex being hard and rough, but, every time, just as they'd reach their fevered climax, she'd vanish into thin air, leaving him physically unsatisfied and desperate for release. He'd awoken countless times panting, sometimes crying and always covered in sweat, rock hard and uncomfortable, with no release except what he could provide himself. Those were the worst times. Frustration was beginning to make him crave and briefly consider escaping his torment with pills again. He needed to be numb, he needed to not care. So far, he'd remained strong but he wasn't sure how long and "if" he could hold out much longer. It was to the point that he'd even thought about consulting privately with a shrink. Something had to give or he was going to lose it.

Failing to get back to sleep, he opted, as was often the case, to lift weights. He'd bought a weight machine as well as free weights and did what he could to lessen the tension and exhaustion with frequent trance-like workouts. While not perfect, it provided him a brief respite to not have to think. He'd found himself losing weight when she'd first left due to stress and poor diet. Now, he'd switched over and only ate protein to fuel his body. Eggs, chicken, fish and steak were the norm as he didn't take pleasure nor have time for much else. His body, while always toned and healthy was now a machine from his intense workouts and lack of fats and carbohydrates. His clothing still fit him, but his shirts especially, were tighter due to his strong muscled arms and torso. He was driven to distraction almost all the time whether hunting her at work or from his couch and computer at home. He was obsessed.

Showered and ready to begin another unfulfilling and exhausting day, he was just about to leave for the post office when he heard a knock at his front door. Peering through the peep-hole, he immediately unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow Dembe Zuma entrance. He unflinchingly allowed the larger man to embrace him in a warm greeting. Very few individuals could do this with him, but Dembe was one who could.

"Donald, it is good to see you."

"And you. What brings you here, do you have news for me?"

"Yes, I must be quick, for obvious reasons, but you will need to travel. Raymond has arranged what you will need. He urgently needs to see you." Dembe handed him a manila envelope.

"Use task force resources and your own ID to follow this pre-arranged lead. When you arrive at the meet-up, use the alias documents inside the envelope from that point. This is the only way Raymond can guarantee his safety and your own."

"What about Liz! will she be there as well?"

"Use the documents, my friend. Godspeed." And with that, he left.

Don rushed out into the corridor frantic to get answers. "Wait, Dembe! is she okay, is she safe?"

"Goodbye, Donald," was all he uttered as he quietly left.

"Fuck!" he slammed his door in frustration. Slumping on his couch, he tore open the envelope and found a German passport, drivers license, various work ID's and credit cards, all with an assumed alias, as well as a small locker key and a stack of euros. He did a quick estimate and found the worth to be about fifty thousand dollars, slightly less than what he earned in a year at his job. He put everything back in the envelope and quickly packed a suitcase. It looked like he was going to Germany.

/

"Agent Ressler, here is the boarding pass for your trip to Munich. The lead you discovered shows that Red and Liz could possibly be in Fussen, which is about twenty kilometres outside of Munich. It's up in the Alps and there are a lot of chateaus and lakes in the area. It would seem like the ideal place to lay low. The one you're interested in is at forty two Rhiemer Drive. It certainly looks like a place Mr. Reddington would stay at. You're all set with a rental car and a hotel room. Good Luck."

Ressler made brief eye contact with a sad faced Aram and nodded, taking the documents and returning the handshake that Aram offered. Aram was invaluable to him as a source of information and support but more than that, he got it. He got the whole fucked up thing. They never spoke about it, but he knew, without a doubt, that he and Aram were on the same page when it came to Liz.

/

Liz sighed as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had been cut into a layered shoulder length bob and was now adorned with large chunky blonde high-lights. It looked good, similar to how she used to wear it in college. The attendant in the hotel dress shoppe had her in a pretty floral yellow sun dress with a pleated skirt and matching shrug sweater. She had on her favorite low heeled tan wedge sandals and noted that she looked nice. The hair stylist had done a light makeup job for her as well, and it brightened her up nicely without appearing heavy and cakey. She wondered what Red had planned for them.

They'd gotten along well as he easily and efficiently shepherded her around the globe from one high end hotel to another high end estate, ironically keeping her from the one person she most desperately wanted and needed to see, Donald Ressler. Red's intel and resources always managed to keep them a few steps ahead of her stalwart partner. Since both she and Red knew Donald so well, they could predict his moves relatively well, and, with the assistance of Red's team in the states, they provided an almost constant stream of intel as to where the intrepid agent was, who he was with and what he was doing practically around the clock. She knew that her partner was more than aware of this and must be riddled with anger and frustration. But, it couldn't be as bad as her frustration.

They'd been heading in a direction that was leading to involvement. Heavy involvement of the passionate kind as well as the professional kind. Her breath hitched and her eyes involuntarily watered with unshed tears as she recalled their last meeting. She'd been following Cooper's instructions and was almost free of the post office when he'd cornered her in the hallway. She knew it was him just by the sound of his footfalls. They were in tune, they were a team, they seamlessly meshed together. As she'd urged him to decide her fate quickly, he never broke eye contact with her. Doggedly holding her in his laser like gaze, she'd jogged up to him, aware that if she got to close, his lightening fast reflexes could reach out and possibly grab her, preventing her from escaping, but she'd made the call. If he chose to restrain her, she would not, could not fight back against him. She wouldn't strike him or harm him in any way. She'd rather die than harm him. He held her fate in his hands and she trusted him.

He kept his arms at his sides in an alert but somewhat relaxed stance as she subconsciously crept closer and closer to him until they were mere inches apart. Her head tilted up as she gazed into his blue eyes, imploring him to let her go. When he gave a slight nod towards the exit, she turned to run, but turned back and grabbed him, her thin fingers combing into his hair and kissed him for all she was worth. She conveyed a myriad of emotions in the desperate kiss forcefully caressing his lips with her soft tongue, begging for admittance to his sensuous mouth. Tears began to spill down her cheeks as he responded and crushed her to him, ferociously kissing her back with undeniable passion. And then, it was over as he wrenched himself away from her and pushed her towards the exit. She was crying now, sobbing his name. "Ressler, Ress….I don't want to leave you..come wi….."

"GO. GO NOW, LIZ!" was all he said as he dropped to his knees to retrieve her burner cell just seconds before the cameras came back on.

"What is wrong, Mademoiselle! why are crying?" The shoppe attendant was eyeing her in an alarmed manner. The pretty young woman looked happy to see her reflection in the mirror. She approved of the pretty sundress she'd selected for her but now, her smile had turned to tears. "Please, Mademoiselle, don't cry. I'm sure it will be alright..Is there someone I can call for you?"

"No, but, thank you for your help. I really need to go," Liz sniffed. "Can you bill my room for everything?"

"No worries, it's all been taken care of. Feel better Cherie!"

Liz gave her a weak smile and retreated to the privacy of her room. She tapped lightly on the adjoining door to Red's room and heard him invite her in. "Lizzie! you look lovely! Turn around, let me see."

She did a quick spin for him, but he noted her shallow smile and far away eyes.

"The high-lights remind me of your college years. Very nice. The dress is lovely as well. Yellow brightens you up." He waited for some type of reply from her.

"Where are we going for dinner tonight?" she almost robotically replied.

"Oh, Lizzie, Lizzie, we aren't going anywhere, but you are. I thought it was time for you to get out on your own, without me tagging along. I've arranged for you to do some sightseeing in a very safe place. And, I've arranged for you to be discreetly accompanied by someone I trust."

"Okay, but I don't mind if you come along, I enjoy the time we spend together, Red."

This made him light up. "As do I Lizzie, but, tonight is special. I know how hard this has been for you, and please know that I have teams and teams of people feverishly working to clear your name. But you must remain strong and soldier through this like you do with everything else that comes your way and you'll come out on top again, of that I have no doubt." He stood and approached her. Taking her hand and leading her towards the open french doors that looked down upon Paris.

"Relish in the beauty of this city, Lizzie. Even through the most difficult of life's circumstances, see the good, see the light, and never take for granted the beauty in front of you. You'll look back on this time in a few years and it will seem like such a long time ago. You will get your life back, you will see those you care about again and you will thrive. You just need to hold on."

"Kind of Keep calm and carry on?"

"Yes," he chuckled. "Exactly. Now, I've got a car waiting outside and the driver will take you to your escort for the evening. Try to relax and enjoy this time. Your safety this evening is not your worry. Just enjoy yourself."

Lizzie smiled at Red, she could tell he was excited about something. She'd decided when all of this had begun that she needed his support as well as his friendship and his love. It was all she had now and she was lucky to have that, knowing that it too could be taken from her in an instant, so, she did try to enjoy all that he showed her but it was hard given the state of her broken heart. Tonight she was in the city of lights, the most romantic city on earth and she'd be with a stranger, when all she really wanted was to be back at work with her partner, staking out a perp, or spending a late night in their office reviewing stacks of files while eating take out, or as she'd dreamed as of late, in his arms, safely protected from everything, as they made love. She took in a deep breath and steeled herself to go out and try to enjoy herself.

/TBC/