Part Nine.
They had threatened to keep him there, but Jacob had refused. Liz, thankfully, seemed to understand that he was now working on a time crunch to get the funds pulled together in time for the meet with Bud. Time and place had also been detailed in the paper Reddington had left, and that was how Jacob found himself leaning against the wall of the alley, waiting. He had picked up a pack of cigarettes in the way there, but now that he had the time, he was lacking the desire.
"You look better."
A small smirk pulled at his lips and he turned. "Hey, Gina. Thanks for not selling me out."
"You'd have deserved it," she groused, pulling the pack from his fingers and taking one.
Jacob lit it for her. "Did Bud send you?"
"He's coming. Got tied up with some business and I figured you'd get jumpy." She offered him one of his own cigarettes and he shook his head.
"Keep it."
The blonde rolled her eyes. "She's done a number on you."
"Guess so," he answered softly, stuffing his hands in his jean pockets.
Bud rounded the corner, stuffing his cell in his pocket. "Just got confirmation of the funds," he said gruffly. He leveled a look on his former student that wasn't quite a glare. "You've done some dumb shit before, kid, but this one tops it. You're in over your head with her. You're smarter than this."
"Maybe not," Jacob answered with a shrug. "Are we good?"
The man that had raised him watched him carefully for a moment, studying him. "Payment's through. We're good."
Jacob felt a strange sort of tightness in his chest as the older man turned. "Bud?" he called before he could stop himself. "Thank you."
Bud snorted. "You paid me for it, kid. Handsomely."
"That's not... I meant for everything." This man had taken him from the streets and saved his life. Thanks had never been expected, much less required, but as Jacob was preparing to walk away forever, these were two people that he realized he would miss, and he wasn't quite sure what to do with that.
"You earned everything but this, kid."
Jacob stared, not certain how to respond, until Gina chuckled off to the side. "You're an idiot, Phelps. She'll destroy you. She'll drop you as soon as she realizes you really won't sell us our."
"She won't."
"Is that what love is? Blind faith that'll get you killed?" She offered him a smile before pulling him down, pressing her lips against his quickly. "Don't let her get you killed."
Jacob swallowed hard as he watched her walk away. He took a deep, unsteady breath, left alone in the alleyway.
It was strange to be back after being gone for over a month. She had cleared everything out of their old place, but hadn't sold it yet, so when they had needed a place to meet up after he settled his debts with Bud, Tom had mentioned their townhouse and Liz had just agreed. Now she stood there with her two bags of things she had brought with her when she had left. Everything else that hadn't been taken as evidence was in storage, tucked away so she hadn't had to look at it. So much had reminded her of Tom, which had hit on far too many levels of emotions during the past month.
Now she was waiting for him there. Funny how things worked out.
She was set to pick Hudson up from Aram, who had taken the dog to his apartment when Liz had dropped off the grid, sometime later that afternoon, but at that moment all she wanted to do was to get some sleep. It was better than sitting around and worrying about the meeting her husband was at, at any rate.
Liz found a couple of old quilts she had been telling herself that she would come back for and folded them up on the floor. She had thought that she would be asleep as soon as she laid down, but the townhouse was quiet and it was lonely. She found herself tossing and turning. It was too quiet and too lonely.
Somewhere in there she managed to doze, but her mind was running so fast that it was hardly rest. She startled out of a half dream at the sound of the door rattling and the knock that followed. She reached for her gun as she stood, inching towards the door, but her fingers loosened around it when she saw who was standing there.
Tom looked as exhausted as she felt when she tugged the door open. He moved forward and before he'd actually made it into the townhouse he had pulled her into a crushing hug. She returned it, all the conflicting emotions of the last week washing through her and they held onto each other there and the world might have stopped around them for all they knew.
"You okay?" she asked softly and he loosed his grip, his expression torn.
"I don't know," he answered, the words riding out on a breath. "That life is all I've ever known and..."
And it was gone. She nodded slowly, letting the understanding sink in before she spoke. Slowly she pressed a kiss to his lips. "Bud raised you, right? If you didn't feel anything at the break... I think that would be more of a reason to worry."
He tilted his head a little and Liz couldn't help but smile. Tom had always seemed so certain about how he felt, and he talked about every feeling openly and tried to get her to do the same. Now, she wondered just how much he'd kept inside because he couldn't express it without blowing his cover. Or, possibly, because he just didn't know how to process it. She took his hands in her own. "We're going to get through this," she promised and he seemed to relax a little.
"Just like we always do?" he whispered and her smile grew.
"Exactly. I meant it when I said I want to get to know Jacob."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I love you," he confessed softly and pulled back, not quite ready to release her hands as he looked around at their bare home. "Were you moving?"
Liz bit her lip. "Sort of. I hadn't put it on the market yet, but I couldn't stay."
"And now?"
She looked up and there was a strange sort of uncertainty in his eyes. "We'll figure it out. Right now, I need sleep and you look like you do too."
His lips perked up at the corners and he followed her over to the makeshift pallet and toed off his boots as she took a seat. Tom sank down next to her and flopped out on his back, looking at least a little more relaxed. Liz moved closer and leaned against his chest, feeling his arm wrap around her and she felt safe.
Tom sighed beneath her. "I made the right decision."
"Hmm?" Liz asked sleepily.
"Choosing you over Bud. I don't regret it. I've run my whole life, but... I'm done."
"Better be," she teased.
He huffed. "I'm serious. I never... cared about having a home before you, Liz. You're my home, no matter where that takes us."
Liz tightened her hold on him. "You're mine too," she whispered. "I love you."
"You too," he answered and Liz could hear that he was already drifting off. She had found out the hard way that she didn't sleep well without him, but even curled up on the hard, wooden floor she was more comfortable in his arms then she had been in some time now. There were still plenty of questions, but for the first time since finding the box beneath their floor, she thought she had a pretty good idea who this man was. Jacob or Tom, he loved her, and he was her home.
End.
Notes: Well, that is the end for this little plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. I am uncontrollable excited for tonight's Blacklist episode! :D
