THIRTEEN YEARS AGO – Mary is in her bedroom with a video camera. She put it on top of her desk and turned it on to record.

"It's been seven years now since I got here in Russia. Funny because I can remember the date I got here but I forgot my own birthday. Alexei didn't. He bought me an entire closet filled with clothes that is ten times the worth of our house. Stephen…he knows you're looking for me. That would mean that you never got my message to you. I guess Alexei's network is impenetrable even for Orion. I am not even sure if you'll get this but here I am talking to a video camera thinking that somehow I am talking to you", she said and then took a moment to breathe.

Tears suddenly fell from her eyes involuntarily which she wiped immediately.

"You want to know how's my day? I murdered an entire family today, Stephen. It's one of Alexei's allies…former. He owed him a great deal of money and he ran away, never paid him back. I suggested that we should just take the man out but Alexei wanted his whole family and I killed them all…even if I finish this mission, Stephen, I am not sure what kind of life I will be living after. I am not sure if I can still look at our children's eyes and be the best mother they deserve. I am a monster, Stephen. I couldn't even remember how many I have killed over the last seven years and that beats my kill count for my entire career in the agency", she continued.

Mary turned off her phone.

"It's not Alexei", she said and then hid her phone. "Stop looking for me, Stephen. Be with Ellie and Chuck and take care of them because I can't. I will be fine here. My job is to take down the whole organization. I found out that Alexei had all of his transactions and other information in one database. All I need to do is to find it and bring it to CIA. After that, my job is done. One more thing, Stephen, if you'll be able to see this, please do your best to find a way to free Hartley's mind of the Intersect. He's done a lot of terrible things but there were times where I can see him in there. I know you'll say I'm imagining it but no. I can actually see Hartley inside, waiting to be saved. Please, Stephen, free him…do that and you'll free me as well", she added.

Then, she turned around alerted by something.

"I have to go now. Alexei is coming. I love you, Stephen. I love you and Ellie and Chuck", she finished.


PRESENT DAY – Mary threw her bag on the couch and it startled Alexei. They are now back in their new home in Paris. She grabbed the bottle of whisky and poured it in her glass. He watched her finished it in one shot.

"You upset about something, my love?" he asked.

Mary rolled her eyes around and scoffed.

"Upset is an understatement. You made me kill those guys who you knew didn't even have the guts to pick up a gun", she answered.

"My darling, you like killing people. You always have. What you say? No kill. No gain", he said.

Mary looked at him in shock. It's been a long time since she heard that. She put her hands on his face and made him looked at her directly in her eyes.

"That was a long time ago…too long, probably, for you to even remember it. Is murdering people, brutally murdering people, what you want me to do? Is that what you want me to give to you?" she asked trying to contain her tears.

Alexei saw the sadness in her eyes and for a moment there, Hartley resurfaced and wiped away the single tear that escaped Mary's walls. She saw that too.

"I remember. It was four months after your admission to the agency. We were in a mission together. Those guys in Iran captured us. You killed them because they're about to kill me. They were your first kills. You were shaken up. Then, you said to me 'No Kill. No Gain'. It made me laughed and you laughed", he said and the two laughed again, genuine, happy laugh. Then, they went serious. Hartley touched her face gently, the way only he does. "I'm sorry, Mary. I really am", he muttered.

There's nothing more he can say. Those words are enough to let her know that he doesn't want anything that's happening to her right now. Then, he disappeared again into his alter ego. Though he can still see the sadness in her, the joy of knowing she will do everything for him is much more evident in his eyes.

"I will not make you kill harmless people again. I promise", he said.

She knows her best friend and first love had disappeared again so she composed herself.

"Thank you, Alexei. I appreciate that", she replied.

He smiled wide and then grabbed the whisky himself and poured the both of them a drink.

"Here you go, my love", he said as he handed her the glass. "We got no more problems. We can celebrate properly", he added.

"That's right…we can", she replied.


Chuck closed the laptop after he finished watching one of the videos. Sarah went in with two cups of hot choco.

"I hope this will help", she said. She then noticed his silence. "What's the matter, Chuck?" she asked.

"I know how to help my mom. I need to find a way to bring Hartley back", he answered.