Why was it after every talk with the one and only Raymond Reddington, he was always doing something illegal.

"She's pregnant, Agent Mojtabai," keeps playing in his mind. He'd changed the code. Of course he had. He'd do anything for Liz, even before he knew she was pregnant, but knowing just added to his anxiety to keep her safe. Agent Ressler had been correct. Every day out there meant another day they could lose her, and now, under Ressler's supervision, she was safe. For the first time in a long while, he could feel his hope for the situation grow.

When he sees Ressler on his phone he thinks nothing of it at first, but with each passing call the agent's shoulders slump just a little more and his brows furrow just a little further. He feels the first moment of unease fill his stomach, but shakes his head. Everything was going to be okay. Liz was safe and she'd get a fair trial and everyone would know what he'd known all along. That she was innocent.

He tries to ignore Ressler after that, but it's getting harder and harder not to notice. When the agent turns to him after telling the officers to put Dembe in holding, Aram knows he can't ignore it anymore. Something was wrong. He says hello to Dembe more to starve off Agent Ressler than manners. If he can't hear the bad news it doesn't exist, right?

Agent Ressler's face is grim and he can feel that pit in his stomach grow. "Nobody's heard from Reven Wright since last night. I don't like this."

He didn't like it either. The last time someone in her position had gone missing, they had never come back.

The sound of the elevator door opening is a welcomed distraction until he sees who's at the door. The pit in his stomach drops as the Director of Clandestine Affairs storms the building.

He turns to the agent in charge. "You promised that Agent Keen would receive a fair hearing!" he accuses. He follows after him as Ressler moves towards where Agent Keen is being held.

"I don't like this."

He almost follows but he's trusting Agent Ressler to handle the situation. He tries to look busy. It doesn't take long before the agent is returning to talk to him, his face still grim and his heart falls.

"Reven Wright's not coming back."

"How do you know?"

"Tommy Markin." He looks at him confused. Did Markin do something to Reven? "It was a guy I told Reven about. Only Reven. Hitchen just asked about him. Laurel Hitchin is in the Cabal." And he can't breathe now. "And I just told her where to find the only person who can save Keen." The agent nods to the screen he has been watching like a hawk since Elizabeth has been put in that stupid box. He sees the Director on the phone. This is bad. "And she just told the Director."

"Okay, okay. Uh, glass half full, there's someone who can save Agent Keen?"

"Karakurt." Ressler has his phone to his ear and he can't keep his eyes off of him. "Cooper's hiding him at a cabin near Lake Yvonne. And he's not answering."

For some reason the agent's panic resolves his. "Go." The look he gets almost makes him backtrack, but this is more important than his fear. "She'll be fine." He promises. He knows the agent would never leave Liz unless he was sure that he could protect her so he admits to his treason. "They can't break in there."

"What if they figure out the code? I can't leave her. She's even more vulnerable than you know...she's...she's pregnant, Aram."

"I know."

"You do?" Ressler asks.

"Reddington." He admits.

"Reddington?"

"Who do you think changed the code?"

And it's like he just handed the agent a life preserver as his hand snakes out to squeeze his shoulder and God, if the circumstances were different, he might cry from the equivalent of a Ressler hug.

"The US marshalls are going to be here in three hours. If I'm not back you let Keen out to only them."

"Okay." He nods, and really he's going to have to remember this for later because the trust he's putting in him to keep Liz safe means...so much.

"Aram, we can do this." And then he's off. He continues his work, working as fast as he can even as his eyes continue to wander towards the screen. He breathes a sigh of relief when he's finally finished.

He steels his nerves. He's walking into the hornet's nest and he doesn't want them to smell his fear. His tough guy face falls when he sees her, and he can't help but smile."Hey," her answering smile warms him. She doesn't hate him. "You okay?" His eyes glance down at her stomach, and if he didn't know, he wouldn't know she was pregnant.

"I've been better."

"How...are you feeling?" he indicates her stomach.

Her eyes widen slightly and she looks even more terrified shaking her head. She indicates at the men watching. She didn't want them to know she was pregnant?

"Why?"

"These people...they...they don't care. They'd just use her against me."

He smiles "Her?"

"Shh," but she nods with a small smile.

"Okay. Okay, you're almost there. In an hour, Ressler will move you to a holding cell at the courthouse. You'll be safe there." He promises her again because she looks...confused.

"I'm having trouble breathing."

"Just the man I'm looking for," comes the last voice he wanted to hear. "One of my technicians figured out why the code box, uh, does not work." Liz struggles for breath and terror fills his stomach. "Apparently it was changed. Coincidentally enough, just prior to our arrival."

God, he's never been great at lying. "That must be…" and he's almost thankful when the Director interrupts him because he wasn't sure how he was going to end that sentence.

"What? A mistake?" He smiles evilly. "Yes. Probably. But we can't prove it. Technology being what it is and all." And he'd feel proud if not for the sinking feeling in his stomach at the Director's smirk. "And you are the tech guy."

"Aram! I can't. I can't breath!" He turns and sees Liz leaning heavily on a chair struggling to breathe.

"What's happening to her?" he demands.

"I'm sure I don't know. Losing oxygen in there? I'm sorry we don't have the door code." And he's never hated anyone before, but the smirk on the Director's face makes him want to punch him. "I'll have one of my men look into it right away." And he might as well be in there with Liz because he's struggling to breathe too. "That would be a tragedy."

He watches helplessly as she gasps for breath. And God he has to think. He's a genius, all he has to do is think, God damn it. He can't let her out. Let them out and they die, but if she stays in there they die as well. His mind goes into overdrive. If they cut off the oxygen she only has a limited amount in the box, but it should last long until the marshalls come. He just needs to get her to stay calm.

"Okay, breathe slowly and steady."

"It doesn't make any sense. Even if they shut off the oxygen in here, I should be able to breathe in here for hours." And Oh God, how did he not think of this. They didn't cut off the oxygen. "Nitrogen… they're pumping Nitrogen through the tanks!" He's glancing at the air filtration and doing the calculations in his mind and oh God, they're killing them right in front of him. "Oh my God it would strip the oxygen out in minutes. You wouldn't be able to smell it either, even with your...uh…" he glances at her stomach.

She's hacking now, struggling harder to breathe. He turns to the Director's lackies incredulous.

"You guys are just going to let this happen? She can't breathe!" The lackies look unimpressed.

"The Director said he's working on the problem."

And he snaps. "He is not and you know that!" He can hear her gasping and he's trying to appear tough but he can feel the tears well in his eyes. "Do something!" He begs. He almost tells them she's pregnant, but Liz has asked him not to. And when he gets the same answering smirk as he did from the Director he knows he 's alone.

He goes back to Liz, "Agent Keen, just hang on, I'm just, I'm gonna see if I can access the ventilation from my terminal, okay? It's going to be okay. I'll be right back." And he's running to his desk. His heart is pounding as he tries to access the ventilation. He's proven that he's smarter that the Directors lackies before he can do it again. Access denied….he's failed. But everyone is counting on him. Liz and her baby's lives are literally in his hands. He won't give up. He tries again and again. And he fails again and again. God damn it it just keeps saying access denied. And he's never hated that screen more.

He runs back to her because there's no way he'd be able to crack through this in time to save them. "I can't access it. I'm trying to override it but it's going to take a little bit of time." And God she's not looking good. She falls over.

"Liz, I'm sorry, but I have to do something. She's pregnant!" he shouts and he expects scrambling but nothing happens. "Damnit are you even listening?!" he demands at the cameras. "She's pregnant!" And he feels sick to his stomach that that doesn't change a single thing. "I'll go to the press!" He threatens. "I don't care! There are witnesses here! I will tell the world, what you're doing here! That you watched as a pregnant woman died and did nothing! Come on!" He returns to Liz. "Come on, Liz. Hang on Liz, you have to. Come on, a little longer." Her eyes close and God that's not good. The tears are running free now. "Come on, Liz."

"I'm afraid we're out of options. Can't seem to figure out what's wrong with this air system." The Director says calmly.

"Liz!" she's not responding. "Liz? Liz! Wake up. Liz!" He looks back at the other "humans" in the room. "She's pregnant!" he tries one more time for the humanity in the room but it reaches no one.

"Well, you could save her...them, Agent Mojtabai."

And really, that's what breaks him. His tough, Die Hard, friend is dying in front of him and that's when he breaks his promise to Reddington, Liz, Ressler, and himself. Because he can't sit back and watch this anymore. "Navabi." He sobs.

"What's that son?"

"The passcode. It is Navabi." When they still don't type it in he starts to panic further. He gets up. "It's Navabi! Open the door!" He yells at the tech, because they're still not opening the door. The other lacky pushes him back.. " N-A-V-A-B-I." If they won't he will but they're stronger and they won't let him near the box. "Open the Door! Open the door! Open it! Open the door." The Director finally gives his nod. "Open the door, come on, Open it!" He stands at the door willing it to open faster and when it finally mercifully opens he rushes inside. He turns her over and immediately begins CPR. "Come on, come on, Liz." He sobs as he pushes against her sternum. He listens for a heartbeat then pumps her heart faster willing it to beat. And finally. Finally she gasps in a deep breath.

"Yeah. You're okay." He tells her. "Liz, I'm so sorry." He hugs her to him. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't let them kill you both. I'm sorry." He looks up at the Director and sees a look of pure hatred and the bile in his stomach rises to the back of his throat. Oh God, he's failed her. He's failed everyone. He may have saved her from one frying pan just to throw her into the next.

His lackies forcefully pick her up. And he knows what he has to do. He isn't going to let his friend die damnit. The marshals would be here in just under ten minutes, if he can stall them...he can still save her. He runs to his station and grabs his gun and tries not to think about the last time he had had to use it in the Post Office.

He stands in front of the Director and what he's doing is probably suicide, but God it doesn't matter. His friend can't die because of him. He takes a deep breath and aims the gun at the Director.

"I won't let you take her."

"Aram! Put the gun down! They'll shoot you without thinking twice!" Liz begs him.

He has to steady his gun as his nerves cause him to shake. "I-I-I don't care."

"I do. You've done enough."

"No I didn't." He swallows back the self hatred. "I opened the door."

"Agent Mojtabai, stand down," the director orders.

It only makes him slip off the safety.

"Aram! Look at me." He does so slowly.

"I don't blame you for letting me out. I don't." Why doesn't he believe her? Because he knows everyone else was counting on him to keep her safe. "You saved us." She reminds him as she caresses her stomach. "Now please put the gun down." She begs. He looks around and sees all the guns pointed at him. And, God he just wants to protect her. And even though that stupid smirk on the Director's face almost makes him pull the trigger, Liz had asked him to put the gun down. And so he does. Not even a second later he's pushed up against a wall and being handcuffed. He's failed.

"Excuse me!" Comes a loud, angry, in charge voice. "Where exactly do you think you're taking this young lady."

And his hope rises slightly. Maybe he's stalled long enough!

"Misses Panabaker. Right on time," Mrs Hitchens says sounding defeated. And anyone that can make her sound defeated is okay in his book.

"I believe punctuality is a virtue as is following orders. My orders are to make sure Elizabeth Keen is transported safely to the E Barrett Prettyman Courthouse."

"And I have intel that requires us to move Agent Keen to Fort McGrath," the Director pushes.

Miss panabaker speaks over him and damn it if she doesn't look a little bit like an Avenging Angel to him. "I am aware of the intel. So is DNI who's reviewed it and upheld the original agreement."

"As National security advisor this is my call to make," Laurel HItchen's interrupts.

"Not according to this." She holds out a file with Liz's picture and hands it to Hitchens. "But don't take my word for it. Get the Director of National Intelligence on the line." Hitchens looks at the Director defeatedly. "Oh, then I guess I'll call him myself." She smiles and proceeds to do so. "Hello Sir. Panabaker here. Yes. I just arrived. No, they don't seem to want to follow orders, Sir. Of course." She hands the phone to Hitchen's. "He'd like to speak to you." Hitchens grabs the phone then goes off to a corner to talk in private.

Miss Panabaker finally lays eyes on him. " And what exactly did this poor boy do to have himself in cuffs?"

"He held a gun at me," the Director explains indignantly.

She looks away from the Director and looks at him to ask. "Why?'

"He-"

"I believe I was asking the boy." She glares at the Director and he tries not to smile.

"He was trying to leave with Agent Keen…" He explains and God he's bad at lying but she saves him when she looks at the lackies.

"Well then, let that boy go."

"Now wait just a minute-" The Director demands.

"He was following orders, unlike some people." She glares at him. And the Director purses his lips but nods at his goons and they let him go.

"Thank you."

She smiles at him

"Yes, Sir. I understand. I stand corrected." Laurel Hitchens says as she returns and hands the phone back to Panabaker.

"I have never seen two people so disappointed the the Country isn't under attack."

"Yeah, well I'm not convinced." The Director stalls but even he has to know he's done.. "So let's get Agent Keen transferred, shall we? My men are on site." And he feels his hope slipping once more, but his Avenging Angel does not disappoint.

"And they will stay on site. I consulted with Reven Wright before I drafted the order. Keen isn't going anywhere without one Agent Donald Ressler present to oversee her transfer."

He can see the Director slowly admitting defeat. "Uh, Agent Ressler isn't here..." but then the elevator doors clamors open. And he's been ecstatic to see Agent Ressler before but maybe not as potently as now.

Ressler steps out with Solomon and he finally smiles. Because he did it. He kept her safe until Agent Ressler could arrive. And now. Now she, and her baby, are finally safe. "Sorry I'm late, bring him to holding." He tells the other agents passing off the criminal. The look on the Director's face now almost makes up for not being able to shoot him. "Elizabeth Keen. I'm here to escort you downtown where you'll be held safely until your arraignment."

A small smile tugs on Liz's lips and he can feel his own lips tug too. "Bout time." she whispers to Ressler.

Ressler grabs her gently making sure to keep himself in between Liz and the Cabal members in their midsts. He stops to whisper something he can't hear to Hitchens, but stops in front of the Director and says loud enough to be heard. "And you. I want you gone when I get back."

When they reach him, he feels his stomach flutter with guilt, but Liz stops and surprises him. "Thank you." She whispers tenderly to him then kisses his cheek and maybe he can forgive himself, now that she's safe. Ressler escorts her to the elevator and he has to bite his lips to keep from smiling when his Avenging Angel says "I need to come round here more often." They're safe.