Thanks to elizabethkween on Tumblr for the cover art!

"Oh good, you're back," Aram exclaimed as he strode quickly towards Ressler and Liz as they stepped off the elevator at the Post Office. Ressler glanced at Liz who raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"What's going on, Aram?" Ressler asked as Aram fidgeted in front of them.

"Mr. Reddington is here," Aram replied nervously, "he's up in Mr. Cooper's office. Mr. Cooper said to send you both up as soon as you got back."

Liz glanced up at the window of Cooper's office. "Does he have a new case?" she asked.

Aram fidgeted some more. "I think so. But whatever it is, Mr. Cooper does not sound happy about it."

Ressler exchanged another glance with Liz. Clearly, Aram knew more than he was letting on.

"What sort of case?" Ressler asked, eyeing Aram grimly.

Aram glanced up at Cooper's office and then back at Ressler and Liz. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, clearly hesitant to speak up.

"Aram!" Liz said impatiently, "what do you know?"

"I think it's probably best if Mr. Reddington and Mr. Cooper explain it," Aram replied anxiously. "I don't know much. Almost nothing, really." He turned and retreated hastily back to his desk.

Ressler sighed. "Well this should be fun," he said as he headed for the stairs, Liz following closely behind him.

"Ah, Lizzie, Donald, there you are," Reddington said cheerfully as they entered Cooper's office. Cooper looked decidedly less cheerful as he gestured towards two empty chairs.

"What's going on?" Liz asked warily as they sat down.

"I have a new case for the two of you," Reddington replied.

"Just the two of us?" Ressler asked, picking up on Reddington's word choice.

"Yes Donald. Just the two of you," Reddington replied with a smirk.

"What sort of case?" Liz asked. Reddington's cheerfulness coupled with Cooper's discomfort was unsettling.

"You're going to be going undercover," Reddington began. "There is a woman - Laura Holcomb - who is the daughter of a long time acquaintance of mine, Lawrence Holcomb, who has unfortunately had to go into hiding as a result of a little dustup with the Chinese. As I understand it, the Russians are after him too. And the IRS. Anyway, I have reason to believe that Laura will be meeting her father at some point over the next several days and I need you to befriend her so that you can let me know when that happens."

"And we have to go undercover for this?" Ressler asked. "We can't just follow her?"

Reddington smiled slowly. "No, Donald. Laura Holcomb is the daughter of one of the most careful criminals I know. If she's planning to meet her father, she will be taking every precaution. She'd spot a tail a mile away."

"And what do you need her father for?" Liz asked. Something about Reddington's demeanor suggested this was not going to be a typical case.

"Lawrence Holcomb is one of the most inventive financial wizards I have ever met," Reddington explained. "Some years back, I had him stash a sizable rainy day fund away where it was unreachable and unknown to anyone within my organization."

"You anticipated someone might betray you from within your organization, like Kaplan did?" Ressler asked.

"Precisely, Donald. Call it one of my insurance policies. The problem is, despite my best efforts over the past several months, I have been unable to locate Lawrence and hence, unable to lay hands on those funds. I need five minutes with the man. Laura can get me that."

"So you need us to help you get your money back," Ressler sneered. No wonder Cooper looked uncomfortable.

Reddington shot him a steely glare, his cheerfulness gone. "Donald, if you think this Task Force can continue to chase Blacklisters without my resources, you are sorely mistaken. As I explained to Harold, finding Lawrence Holcomb is absolutely critical if we are to continue our work together."

"So how are we supposed to befriend Laura Holcomb enough that she will lead us to her father?" Liz asked as she attempted to steer the subject back to the matter at hand.

Reddington smiled slowly once more. "Well, that's the part Harold seems to be struggling with a bit. You see, Laura Holcomb was married a few weeks ago to an attractive but uninspiring man by the name of Brad Carpenter. I had hoped that Lawrence would surface and attend his daughter's wedding but unfortunately, he did not. However, Laura and Brad are scheduled to depart tomorrow on their honeymoon. A Caribbean cruise. I have every reason to believe that Laura has plans to meet her father and introduce him to her new husband at some point during one of the port stops."

Ressler glanced at Cooper, who was still looking grim. "So you want us to go undercover as tourists on a cruise ship?"

Reddington's smile broadened to a grin. "Oh not just as tourists, Donald. In order for you to be able to get close to Laura and Brad, you're going to have to pose as newlyweds yourselves. I've made arrangements for Mr. and Mrs. Donald Rafferty to be seated with Laura and Brad and another honeymooning couple at the same table for meals for the duration of the cruise. That will get you started, and the rest is up to you. Brad isn't the brightest tool in the shed but he loves to talk sports. You and he should do just fine. And I have a feeling Elizabeth and Laura will find that they have plenty in common." Reddington leaned back in his chair and beamed proudly.

Liz gaped at him. "You're suggesting that Ressler and I go undercover as honeymooners?" she exclaimed, her voice rising. Ressler was speechless.

"Yes, Lizzie," Reddington replied, "that is precisely what I am suggesting."

"I know this must be uncomfortable for the both of you," Cooper interjected. "I wasn't happy about it either when Reddington presented this idea in the first place. But he has persuaded me that it is necessary to do this, and to do this in this way. I trust that you are both professionals and can do what is necessary to carry out this mission."

Ressler felt his cheeks flush as Liz stared angrily at Reddington. "Can we talk?" she hissed at Reddington. "Alone?"

Reddington shrugged and got up and headed for the door. "If you insist," he replied. Liz followed him out into the hall. As the door closed behind them, Ressler turned to Cooper who had removed his glasses and was rubbing his face wearily.

"I'm sorry, Don," Cooper sighed. "Look if it's too much, i'll put a stop to it. We'll find another way."

"I don't think I'm the one you need to convince, sir," Ressler replied slowly as he looked down at his hands. "I mean yeah, it's gonna be awkward I'm sure, but I think I can handle it." He felt his cheeks flush again as he contemplated the thought of posing as Liz's husband. Awkward didn't even begin to describe it.

"Probably true," Cooper chuckled, "but I'll let the two of them sort that out."

Meanwhile, on the catwalk outside Cooper's office, Liz's eyes were blazing as she faced off with Reddington.

"You can't be serious about this!" she snapped. Reddington's bemused expression only made her more angry.

"Oh I assure you, I'm quite serious," Reddington replied. "This needs to happen Lizzie. I'm sure you and Donald can manage to be convincing enough if you put a little effort into it."

"A little effort…really? We're partners! We have to work together after this!" Liz exclaimed.

"And I trust you'll be able to do exactly that. Look, Lizzie. I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't necessary but it is, and this is the only way. I can't very well ask Agent Navabi to handle this with Donald. Those two have as much chemistry together as a pair of rocks. Not to mention it might prove a bit awkward to place them in close quarters again after their prior liaison, especially in light of her newfound relationship with Agent Mojtabai." Reddington's eyes sparkled mischievously.

"And I'm newly single, so why not, right?" Liz replied bitterly. She had ended things once and for all with Tom after discovering that he had secretly been working behind her back with Kaplan for a long time but the wound was still fresh. "Please tell me this is an actual mission and not some misguided matchmaking scheme to throw Ressler and I together?"

"Lizzie, I assure you, this is an actual mission," Reddington replied, "and a necessary one. Now do we go in there and tell Donald that you can't bear the thought of posing as his wife for a few days? Or do we chin up and go along with the plan? I understand Donald may be boorish at times, but surely he is not so entirely unattractive that you can't muscle through, right?"

Liz stared at Reddington. "Ressler is not the problem here," she said tightly. "What am I supposed to do with Agnes?"

"I've made arrangements for Carly to stay and my people will keep an eye on them," Red replied. "A little sun would do you some good, you know."

"Fine," Liz replied, exasperated.

"Then you'll do it?" Reddington asked.

Liz sighed. "Yes."

Ressler looked up as Liz opened the door to Cooper's office. We good? he tried to telegraph with a look. It was a look he'd shot her many times before in the field. Liz's expression softened and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Ok, I'll do it if Ressler will," she said crisply. Ressler nodded.

"Excellent," Reddington replied. "Though i'd suggest you practice using his first name if you're going to be convincing in your role. I've taken the liberty of making appointments for both of you this afternoon to procure suitable attire for the trip. Tomorrow morning you'll take a 8 am flight to Miami where you will board the ship. The ship will depart in the late afternoon."

"Who's paying for all this?" Ressler asked. "I thought you were low on resources these days."

Reddington glared at him. "Don't fret, Donald. My circumstances may be somewhat reduced thanks to Mr. Kaplan but I'm hardly that down on my luck. I will provide you both with files on Laura and her husband and on Lawrence Holcomb. Study them tonight, familiarize yourselves. The ship will stop on Tortola after a full day at sea. That is the most likely rendezvous point, I think. Tortola is fairly remote - not many ships stop there - and my source at the cruise line tells me that she and Brad have not booked anything there. By then hopefully you will have befriended them sufficiently to be able to track their movements without arousing suspicion. You will call me if anything unusual happens."

"You're going to be there, waiting?" Liz asked. Reddington nodded.

"I will be within reach," he said.

I suggest you two spend some time this evening working out your cover story, how you met, what you do for a living etcetera. And Donald, I trust you can swim?"

"What about weapons," Ressler asked as Liz glared at Reddington, clearly recognizing the dig at her ex. "We can't walk onto a cruise ship armed but we might need something if things go south."

"I thought of that," Reddington replied, "even though I don't expect you to need them. I've made arrangements for guns to be hidden in your room by my contact on the ship. There's a panel in the ceiling just as you enter the room that gives access to the air conditioning system. You'll find what you need in there." Reddington rose and grabbed his fedora, signaling the end of their meeting.

"I think you two might actually enjoy this mission in the end," he said jovially. "See you soon."

Reddington disappeared down the stairs, leaving Cooper, Ressler and Liz alone. "You two sure you're ok with this?" Cooper asked. "Believe me, I tried to talk him out of it before you got here."

"It's fine, sir," Liz sighed. "We understand. When Reddington sets his mind on something there's no changing it."

"Very well," Cooper replied. "Good luck. Sounds like you two have a lot of preparation to do."

"I can't wait to see what Reddington thinks is suitable cruise attire," Ressler grumbled as they made their way down the stairs.

As they crossed the war room to their shared office, Samar looked up from Aram's workstation where she was huddled with him.

"So is it true?" Samar asked

"Is what true?" Ressler replied.

"Is it true Reddington is making you go undercover as newlyweds?" Samar could not hide her mirth.

Ressler felt himself flush again.

"Yes, it's true," Liz snapped from behind him. "I don't know what's so funny about that. I'm sure we can manage to be more convincing than you were the last time you pretended to be a couple." Liz stalked off.

Ressler watched her go and then shrugged. "It's really no big deal guys. We're all professionals here," he said before following after Liz.

Samar watched them leave and then turned to Aram. "I'll bet you dinner those two will hook up by the end of the trip," she said smugly.

Aram looked startled. "You really think so? I mean, maybe at one point. But now? After everything that's happened?"

"I'd say especially now, after everything that's happened," Samar replied cooly. "Reddington is no fool," she added. "He knows exactly what he's doing."

Aram sighed. "When you put it that way, I have a feeling i'm a fool to take this bet. But sure, you're on. But wait - do we have to ask them about it when they get back?" Aram looked horrified.

Samar burst out laughing and patted him on the shoulder. "No, we won't have to ask. Trust me."

Alone in their office, Ressler closed the door and then perched on the edge of Liz's desk. "You sure you want to go through with this?" he asked gently. "You say the word and I'll go back up there and tell Cooper it's not happening."

Liz smiled faintly. "No, I'm sure. And please don't think that any of my reaction up there had anything to do with you."

Ressler grinned. "Look, if nothing else we get a few days away from this place, a little sunshine. I don't know about you but i've never been on a cruise before."

"Me either," Liz admitted, "and you're right. It might even be fun."

"That's the spirit," Ressler replied. "Look - I gotta go meet this…Pierre guy," he frowned at the card Reddington had given him and rolled his eyes, "but let's touch base later and start ironing out our cover story, ok?"

Liz nodded. "Why don't you just plan to swing by this evening. I'll order some takeout."

"Sounds good," Ressler replied. "See you later."

Later that evening, Ressler and Liz sat together in her apartment with the remnants of Chinese takeout and a bottle of wine spread on the table in front of them. They were each studying the files Reddington had provided on Lawrence Holcomb and his daughter and on her new husband.

"So Laura and Brad live in a fancy apartment on Central Park South," Ressler remarked. "I wonder why Reddington would think you'd have anything in common with someone like that."

Liz swallowed hard. She hadn't told Ressler or anyone else about the DNA test even though she was sure Cooper suspected what the result had been. She shrugged. "Who knows what goes through his mind." She put down the file. "Let's take a break from this and start working on our cover story. You want more wine?" She asked gesturing towards the bottle.

"Sure," Ressler agreed as he slid his glass towards her. Normally they wouldn't drink alcohol while working, but nothing about this assignment was normal. He put down his file and leaned back in his chair. "So we're Don and Liz Rafferty," he mused. "Where do we live? How did we meet?"

Liz thought for a moment. "We're less likely to slip up if we stick as close to the truth as possible. So we live in Washington DC and we met at work."

Ressler shook his head. Not D.C. Too many government employees here. They'll be suspicious.

"Good point," Liz agreed. "So where?"

Ressler thought for a moment. "Baltimore? Richmond?"

"Baltimore sounds good," Liz said. "I'm a psychologist. I work with kids. And you….?"

"I work in insurance. That sounds safe and boring enough that they won't ask much. But we can't have met at work then. How about a mutual friend?" Ressler replied.

Liz looked up at him and in unison they both said "Raymond," and burst out laughing. Liz laughed so hard she had tears streaming down her face. "Oh my gosh, we're losing it," she chuckled.

After they collected themselves they spent the next hour discussing additional details. Finally, Ressler glanced at his watch. "I better get home," he said. "I need to finish packing and the car is coming early. We're gonna be fine, Liz. We're together enough that I know how you take your coffee and that you hate pepper on your food and that you always ask for the dressing on the side. The rest we can wing."

Liz smiled at him. "Sometimes I forget how well we do know each other. I know you hate peas, and that you prefer chocolate, not vanilla. I know your favorite color is blue and your favorite type of beer. I think my biggest adjustment is going to be calling you Don all the time!"

"Well, you can practice now," Ressler said softly. "Goodnight, Liz."

"Goodnight…Don," Liz said with a smile.

Back at his apartment, Ressler packed the clothes that Pierre had selected for him to wear on the trip. He was relieved that they were comfortable enough and not too fussy. He wondered briefly what Reddington's people had chosen for Liz and then pushed the thought out of his mind. He was about ready to head to bed when he heard a soft knock at the door. He peered cautiously through the peep hole and was surprised to see Dembe on the other side.

"Everything ok?" He asked as he opened the door.

Dembe nodded. "Yes. Sorry to bother you so late." He held out a small black box. "From Raymond, for your assignment."

Ressler opened the box and was startled to see wedding rings and a ladies engagement ring inside. He hadn't thought about the fact that newlyweds would need rings. "I guess he's expecting us to wear these?" He asked.

Dembe nodded again. "Goodnight Agent Ressler," he said quietly before he disappeared down the hall.

Ressler sat on the edge of his bed and slipped the wide platinum men's ring over his left ring finger. Of course it fit. He wasn't going to begin to guess how Reddington knew his ring size. He had no doubt the ladies rings would fit Liz perfectly too. He stared at his hand for a moment before removing the ring and putting it back in the box. He'd never imagined that the first time he would wear a wedding ring would be under these circumstances.

Ressler finished getting ready for bed and turned off the light. He tossed and turned for a bit and then eventually rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He was more nervous about the assignment than he wanted to admit. There was a time he'd hoped for more than a working relationship with Liz, a time where he'd let himself imagine a future with her. But then she'd gotten pregnant and gone running back to Tom and nothing had been the same since. Now he was going to have to pretend to be in love with her and he was terrified. Terrified that old feelings would resurface and he'd show more than he wanted to. Terrified that it would be harder than ever to just be partners when they came back. Eventually he fell into a restless sleep.