I know I'm not alone in the fact that I'm not at all happy about the way Red has handled Mr Kaplan, she's my favourite character on the show and they simply can't kill her off. I have no idea where this story is going or even if I continue, we'll see. I'm dedicating this to the wonderful Susan Bloomeart because without her, Kate wouldn't be possible xxx

…

Bringing Back Kaplan

…

"You presumed to know what was best for me. Even if I resolve the anger, the pain you caused. I can't trust you, EVER. I'm standing before a stranger, and yet I know you believe what you did was best for Elizabeth, which is why I brought you here. You've told me you always wanted a pristine, unspoiled place to live out your days in peace. So, the acre is yours…for all eternity."

…

Kate felt the burning on her face, she knew it was coming. She'd known the moment Red had found out about her betrayal. He'd kept her alive for days after, while they traced Elizabeth and Agnes. Perhaps part of her thought, for even the briefest of moments, that maybe, just maybe he'd let her live, forgive her even. What a fool she thought as she was thrown back by the impact of the bullet, not even Mr Kaplan could be forgiven. The shot in the head many years before or the shot she'd just received to her face, she couldn't quite decide which was worse, all she knew was that she was dying as the man she trusted, loved and betrayed walked away from her. She was destined to die alone, her own fault really. She chose to do a job that would inevitably take her life; she gave up on love, relationships to dedicate herself to Reddington and him alone. There's nothing Kate wouldn't have done for him, not so long ago she had been ready to die to save him and now here she was, lying in the middle of nowhere, dying alone.

"Let's go Dembe." Red said quietly, as the young man held the door open for him.

"Kate?"

"She's no longer our problem."

"Raymond you…"

"You know I had too, I couldn't make Kate the exception, regardless of my feelings, let's go home."

Dembe closed the door on Red before looking back to where Kate lay, out of sight from passersby. He closed his eyes briefly, a tight knot in his stomach before turning back and getting in to the car.

…

That next morning when Elizabeth was in the process of recovering her daughter, Dembe's head shot up when he heard her asking Red where Kate was. Elizabeth saw the exchange between Red and Dembe, concern filling her when Red quickly changed the subject. It was hours later before Elizabeth was finally able to get Dembe alone, out of ear shot from Red.

"Dembe…"

The young man looked up when she appeared at the door as he waited for Red to finish up a meeting with Harold Cooper, Dembe suddenly looked over his shoulder as Elizabeth came to stand in front of him, her arms crossed.

"Raymond's still in the meeting."

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Don't, you know who I'm taking about. I saw the way you looked at each other earlier when I mentioned Mr Kaplan. What's he done to her?"

"I'm sorry but I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"You know how Raymond feels about betrayal, he didn't have a choice."

"He killed her, didn't he?"

Dembe chose not to speak, instead looked behind him to see Red watching them.

"For god sake Dembe, I though Mr Kaplan was a friend."

"She is, she was, she…she didn't give him a choice."

"Where is she?"

"I can't."

"He can't just leave her lying out there, surely you believe even Kaplan deserves a decent burial. This is my fault."

"Kate chose to go behind Raymond's back."

"She did what she believed was right, he didn't have to kill her because of it. Why hasn't he killed me, I betrayed him too. If he's killed her then he has to by rights, kill me too."

"He would never hurt you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, I just know that he…"

"Where did he leave Kaplan's body?"

"If he found out I told you then he…"

"For god sake Dembe, you can't leave her out there alone, in the cold. She doesn't deserve that."

Dembe could see Red finishing up with Cooper, quickly turning back to Elizabeth.

"All I can tell you is that Kate has a tracker on her cell. That will tell you where she is. I can't tell you anymore than that."

Red walked down the stairs as Elizabeth took a step back from Dembe, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Lizzie, we think we know where Agnes is."

"You found her, where?"

"Kirk took a flight; he has people in the UK and they…"

"He's taking my daughter out of the country, we have to go…now."

"Lizzie wait, you're not coming."

"The hell I'm not, she's my daughter and…"

"He wants you too remember, he could come for you again. At least if he's over there, you're safe here. Tom will come with us; you need to stay here for now at least, it's safe."

"You call me the minute you have her, and I want to know that both Agnes and Tom are safe, do you hear me."

"I will Lizzie."

"I mean it."

"Elizabeth, I give you my word. I'll bring them back safe. Dembe come with me."

Red hugged Elizabeth tightly before following Dembe out of the building.

…

Elizabeth was going stir crazy as she tried to keep busy at work but it wasn't working, she needed to get out. Her mind suddenly drifted back to Kate, the danger the older woman had placed herself in by helping Elizabeth fake her death. She looked around to see Aram at his desk; she pushed her chair back and came over to join him.

"Aram, you busy?"

"Not especially, not until we hear from Reddington, why?"

"I need you to do me a huge favour?"

"Liz, I can't get you to London I…"

"Not that, for once Reddington was right. I'm safer here."

"What do you need?"

"Mr Kaplan's gone off the grid, nobody knows where she is, or they're not saying."

"Well surely Reddington would know."

"I don't know if you're aware but, it was Mr Kaplan that helped me fake my death."

"Mr Kaplan."

"She was doing what she thought was the right thing for me and Agnes and she was right, but Reddington he…"

"What?"

"He sees what she did as a betrayal to him and I'm worried that he's done something to her."

"Killed her you mean, he wouldn't."

"I'm not so sure."

"I don't know her well but the times I've seen them both together, it's always appeared that they mean a lot to each other."

"You've seen Reddington when someone's betrayed him, everything else goes out the window, feelings, everything. If he has hurt her, killed her then after what she did for me and Agnes, she doesn't deserve to lay dead for everyone to see. I need to see for myself, she deserves a proper burial."

"You have her cell?"

"Yeah here."

Elizabeth passed Aram Kate's number, typing it into his laptop; they waited a few minutes before it began to flash.

"Well, going by this she's just outside the city?"

"How far out?"

"About an hour."

"Do you know the exact location?"

"It's a large acre of farm land and it's oh…"

"What is it?"

"It belongs to Reddington."

"Aram, do you think you could get away for a while."

"What."

"I need to go there, I have to see for myself."

"I don't know Liz I…"

"I'm begging you Aram please. If it wasn't for me then Mr Kaplan wouldn't have ended up in this mess, I'm responsible for what happens to her, please."

Aram looked to Elizabeth then up to Cooper's office before letting out a long sigh.

"Wait outside for me, I'll say a family emergency's come up and that I need to go home."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet, give me five minutes."

Elizabeth left the building quickly, while Aram made his way up to Coopers office, ready to lie for Elizabeth yet again.

…

To Be Continued…