With Cooper's permission, Aram called Reddington when they returned to the Post Office.

"Mr Reddington, I've got an update for you." He was less scared of the criminal now than he had been many months before, but he couldn't help being a little apprehensive nonetheless.

"Ah, Aram, one moment, I'm going to put you on speaker so that Elizabeth can hear you too." There was a rustling and the sound of Reddington muttering reassurances could be heard.

"Hello? Aram? Raymond said that you had news?"

"Erm, yes." Aram wasn't expecting Elizabeth to sound quite so unsure. A part of him had expected her to have returned to her old self once she had regained her memories, but then he recalled the horrendous conditions that she must have been kept in and he felt foolish. "We raided the facility where we believe Nancy Walker held you prisoner this morning. We managed to find two other captives, who are both receiving medical attention, but they seem to both be relatively unharmed. Neither of them seem to have been, well, erm..."

"Brainwashed?" Her voice was shaking now.

"That's lovely, Aram, but please, what news is there of Ms Walker?" Reddington's tone was impatient.

"She's dead." Aram heard Elizabeth whimper at his words, and the other side of the call went quiet for a moment before Reddington spoke again, the call no longer on speaker.

"Elizabeth has asked if she can come and see the body. If you could arrange that with Harold for me? The sooner the better."

Aram related the request to the Director. Cooper was reluctant, but Reddington seemed quite insistent, and he eventually agreed.

xxxxx

"It's over?" Elizabeth's eyes were wide and full of tears as she stood in the morgue, with Reddington at her side, the body of Nancy Walker on the table in front of them.

"It's over Lizzie." He caught her as her knees gave way, and he held her as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"The coroner's initial examination suggests that she died from a heart attack." Cooper moved to Keen's other side when she was finally able to stand again and helped Reddington to manoeuvre her out of the room and towards some seats in the corridor. "He said that there appeared to be some sort of foreign substance in her blood that he didn't recognise. He guessed that it was a toxin of some kind, but he couldn't identify it easily. Are you able shed any light on this for us Keen?"

"It burned." She stared at the floor as she answered Cooper's question, but her voice was determined and resolute. "She told me that the body never got used to the pain. She was right. She used it as punishment, to reinforce behaviour, because she felt like it. It was like… It was like molten metal burning through my veins, the pain was indescribable."

They sat in silence for several minutes, Reddington stroking the small of Keen's back reassuringly. After a while, they all stood without speaking and left the building.

Once Keen was settled in the back of Reddington's car, Cooper drew the other man to one side.

"Officially, Red, I am unable to condone any part you may have played in what happened to Nancy Walker."

Reddington nodded, his lips pursed, before he turned back to the car.

"Reddington?" He turned back for a moment. "Bring her back to us now."

xxxxx

Soon after the death of Nancy Walker, Reddington bought Keen an apartment a quiet, pleasant area of Washington DC. He lived there with her for the first few weeks, accompanying her everywhere, taking her shopping, to her therapist's office, for dinners in cosy restaurants.

Eventually he began spending more and more time at his other safe houses, allowing her the time and space to learn to stand on her own once more, although he always ensured she made it to her appointments.

Almost a year to the day after she was taken, Agent Elizabeth Scott Keen returned to work at the bureau and to the Blacklist.

xxxxx

A/N - So, there you have it folks! I feel a bit bad for how little agency Keen had in this story, but I kinda wanted to explore Reddington's protective nature where she's involved. Hopefully, if I write anything else in the future then I'll be able to make Keen a little more than a plot device. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to review it, I'd love to know what you all think.