AN: Couldn't resist getting in Red's head on this one. It was a nice break from trying to write ACTUAL PHYSICAL romance (eeek!) for my companion piece to "Fine Feathers". Just a little one-shot to help me process my feelings after the Pavlovich Brothers, so SPOILERS!

Militat omnis amans. (Every lover is a soldier. Love is a warfare) - Ovid

(Continuing the scene when Red leans back and sighs in the car, right before the immunologist is boxed up.)

OooooooooooO

Red would help her. Lizzie might not have realized it yet, but he was prepared for just about every outcome.

Militat omnis amans.

He did take an inordinate amount of pleasure in the irony of utilizing the very criminals that she was trying to catch to retrieve her nefarious husband.

He tilted his head and smiled, trying to decide how he should present Tom to her; dead, dazed or gift-wrapped? Red would pay an exorbitant sum to see her face when she confronted Tom, now that his ruse had been fully revealed. She would descend, forsaking all caution and prudence, like Nemesis enraged. She was beautiful in her fury; sharp, bright and purposeful.

Perhaps she would torture the bastard. Red made note to remove all pens from the vicinity, as he would prefer that Lizzie save that particular trick for him. He rubbed his scar, wistfully.

Admittedly, he was a bit jealous of Tom. Though he'd prefer to not be accosted physically again (at least, not with a harmful intent), it was electrifying to see Lizzie snap.

She was so tightly wound, so contained.

But regrettably, he would remain on the sidelines of this reunion. While their previous business with "brother" Craig was at least slightly impersonal, Lizzie deserved to have Tom to herself, to vent her pain and betrayal in private.

He would wait and watch, as always. The course of action, or rather, inaction, familiar to him. He was surprised to discover the depth of his worry and fear for Lizzie, his most precious vulnerability. Letting her encounter danger was becoming more and more difficult. His hands gripped the leather on the armrest and he exhaled a breath that he forgot he was holding. She was so fierce, so passionate and yet still so fragile.

His concerns about what "Berlin" truly was and what it held in store for both of them mounted every day. While he was fairly certain Tom would not harm Lizzie physically, the man could have information that would be damaging to Red, and to the fragile level of trust he had established with her.

Red could not fully anticipate her reaction to some of his more gruesome secrets. While she deserved the truth, taking the last person who wanted only the best for her out of the picture could be destructive.

He took off his glasses, turned them around in his fingers. Red contemplated his unease, and dismissed it. He might not know where the situation was going, but it was already at full sail, so all he could do was pray and attempt to steer away from the rocks.

Replacing his glasses, he picked up his fedora. Time to negotiate with the inbred Pavlovich barbarians. I hope they understand complete sentences.

His lips twisted into a smirk. And they know with whom they're dealing

AN: I know this was short, but hopefully it wasn't horrible. I just needed to resolve some things, and admittedly, a bit more time in Red's head. It's such a fantastic place to hang out :) . Please read and review.