*The Night Before...Cont'd*

She felt his warmth as he stroked her hair and Liz felt more comforted than she had since before Tom's true self was revealed.

"There are a lot of thoughts in your mind Miss Keen," he said to her, "There is too much weight on your shoulders. Sometimes, it's better to act than wonder."

She pulled back and looked into his face, what exactly was he giving her permission to do?

"Nothing happened, I swear." She heard Aram's voice and looked towards its direction. He was following Samar as she was storming away from the party into a waiting taxi.

"I don't want to hear it" she answered, got into the car and left Aram alone on the sidewalk.

*The Morning After*

Liz watched Ressler leave her hotel room and recounted the morning's activities. The brunch, the waitress, the jealously, Ressler and Aram? And of course, the mysterious bowtie. What had her relationship with Red become? How could one night cause so much confusion?

She racked her brain trying to figure out who she had spent the night with. Who had she let into her hotel room and her bed? If only she hadn't drank so much.

She decided to bite the bullet.

"Aram?" she asked into her phone, "It's Liz."

"Yeah, I know Liz...caller Id." He answered.

"Oh right...Sorry. Is this...is this a bad time?" she became flustered at his icy tone, what's his problem?

"I guess not, no."

"Ok," she decided to continue despite her better judgment. "I need to ask you something..."

"What is it Keen?!" his urgency was foiled with something other than time constraints.

"Oh...Uh, did...did we...I mean...last night...there was this bow tie...and I...Um...this is awkward-"

"Are you asking me if anything happened between us last night?"

"Oh..um...Kindof-"

"Unbelievable!" and he hung up.

What did that mean? Was he pissed because she couldn't remember their tryst? Or was he just pissed? She threw her phone on the bed in frustration and pondered her next move.

*The Night Before*

Aram stood and watched the taxi pull away from the curb, frustrated and angry he turned to retrieve his coat from the party and follow Samar before any more damage could be done. When he turned, he was met with the view of Liz in Dembe's embrace.

"Liz! What is your problem?"

She pulled back teary eyed and confused, "problem?"

"You get a kick out of messing up other peoples relationships?"

"Huh?"

"I know you're not interested in me, so you've just ruined any chance I had with Samar because you're so hung up over Re-"

"Problem Aram?" Red had appeared despite his own judgement to see how Liz was.

"No, Mr Reddington." He was visibly angry but decided to put his energy into building bridges with Samar. "I was just leaving. Thank you for the invite, it really was a spectacular party." He gave Liz one last dismissive look and left on foot walking away from the music that was filling the street.

*The Morning After*

This memory came flooding back to Liz when she was just dozing off for her mid afternoon hangover nap and it yanked her out of her tiredness.

It wasn't Aram then, she thought as she turned over and looked at the bowtie lying on her bedside table.

*The Night Before*

The three of them watched the usually placid Aram walk away in silence, unsure of how to continue the conversation.

"What was he going to say," Liz thought, "you're so hung up over Re...Ressler? maybe or Reddington? Is that what people are thinking?"

"Dembe, will you give Miss Keen and I a moment?"

Dembe left them standing on the sidewalk.

"Lizzie," he started as he was taking off his jacket, "I'm in the most peculiar situation with you." He took it off and handed it to her, she looked at it and was about to decline the offer when he took the initiative and wrapped it over her shoulders. "There is so much between us that is unsaid. Our relationship is built upon subtext and secrets and I am under no allusion that that is why you have stuck around for so long...Curiosity." At this she went to speak, but he silenced her by taking a step closer and continuing his speech. "We have a complicated history that I know you want to discover, but I'm afraid to let you see-"

"Why?"

"because, I know if I tell you everything then I will lose you. And that is not something I ever considered would affect me so profoundly when this whole thing started."

She was silenced by his honesty and was unsure how to proceed.

"Our relationship has morphed into something I don't understand, but Lizzie" he was nearing her with each sentence, and at this point his hands were on her arms holding her tight and close, "please, remember the person that I am when I am with you. This person you have known for the past year or so. I am not the same person I was back then."

"Reddington, I don't-" her head was fuzzy from the alcohol and his riddles weren't making any sense.

He loosened his hold on her and took a step back. She had never seen him so bashful.

"I can almost guarantee you will hate me when you know. I never wanted that Lizzie. I know my word on these matters might not count for much, but you have to believe me."

"What do you want from me exactly?"

"Time. I want you now before my name is tainted and you hate me more than you ever have."

*The Morning After*

She lay still, still staring at that bow tie. Those butterflies had returned and that memory hit her like a punch to the chest.

"Oh my god." She rose from her bed and couldn't catch her breath. What happened? Her brain was a muddle and foggy. Maybe a little hair of the dog would help her remember? She considered as she clocked the mini bar, but before she could fix herself anything, there was someone at the door again.

Hope rose in her chest as she approached the door. Her nerves grew as she reached for the handle and opened the door.

"I don't want to forget about last night. I meant every word."

The next thing she knew, she was in the warm embrace of Donald Ressler as his soft lips were pressed against her own.