A/N Sometimes you get lyrics, sometimes you don't, but all the chapter titles are Gordon Lightfoot songs.
Ribbon of Darkness Over Me
Oh how I wish your heart could see
How mine just aches and breaks all day
Come on home and take away
This ribbon of darkness over me
-Gordon Lightfoot
OOO
Harold looked at the man before him.
Reddington had looked so broken after Keen had supposedly died. He still looked broken. Now he just looked a different kind of broken.
"Raymond, I certainly don't agree with your methods, but as appalling as I may find your conduct at times, you are my asset and because of that I have a responsibility to protect you.
"You live in a world where loyalty isn't just everything, it's the only thing. Mr. Kaplan betrayed your trust – I understand that. You did what you felt you had to do. I may not agree with what you did, but I know why you did it.
"But it's a two way street, Raymond. You tried to do what you thought you had to do. But you failed. Now it's Mr. Kaplan's move and given the code you two live by I don't have to wonder what that move will be."
Raymond shook his head. "Harold, you don't know Mr. Kaplan. So please do not presume to know what she would do."
"Raymond, until you … resolve your Mr. Kaplan problem I am adding to Keen's security."
"Mr. Kaplan would never go after Lizzie."
"I may not know Mr. Kaplan, but neither do you, Raymond. Not anymore. Whatever came out of those woods – that's not the Mr. Kaplan you've known for however many years. That's a wounded animal. An animal that you helped to wound. And a wounded animal when it's cornered will turn on you."
Harold asked the question they had all had been wondering. "Did you know what was in those woods? Did you know what the Woodsman was when you gave Mr. Kaplan to him?"
Reddington looked genuinely horrified at the idea. "You cannot believe that I would ever have knowingly given Kate or any woman to a man like that."
Cooper wished that he could believe him. "It doesn't matter what I believe, Reddington. What matters is what Mr. Kaplan believes. I can't imagine a more perfect hell for a woman, but particularly a woman like Mr. Kaplan."
"A lesbian, Harold. It's 2016. It's okay to say the word."
"I've read the autopsy reports for his other victims. You should read them."
Reddington looked offended. "You don't believe me."
"As I said, it doesn't matter what I believe. What matters is what Mr. Kaplan believes."
Sounding distraught, Reddington sighed and closed his eyes. "I didn't give her to him, Harold. Mr. Kaplan knows that. She knows me."
"Raymond, it's been more than a week. You need to resign yourself to the fact that Mr. Kaplan did not take that baby in an effort to get back into your good graces.
"I don't know what your fascination is with Elizabeth Keen and I don't pretend to know. Maybe Mr. Kaplan knows the reason, maybe she doesn't, but clearly she knows Keen is how to get to you in a way that is far more effective than going after you directly."
"Kate would never hurt Elizabeth or Agnes."
Cooper kept pushing. He wanted to hear Raymond say it. "How can you know that?"
"Because even a wounded animal wouldn't -" Reddington caught himself. He shook his head and wouldn't finish.
Frustrated, Harold pointed out. "You claim Mr. Kaplan wouldn't hurt Elizabeth – what do you call what she's doing right now? If Mr. Kaplan has Agnes why hasn't she come forward with her?"
"I don't know the reason, Harold, but what I do know is that if Mr. Kaplan hasn't come forward with Agnes she has a good reason not to." Reddington argued. "There must be some danger that hasn't passed that we aren't aware of. She will bring back Agnes."
Harold looked at the man before him pityingly. "That danger is you, Reddington."
Reddington persisted. "Mr. Kaplan will bring Agnes back."
"You're delusional!" Cooper gave up. "I'm adding to Keen's security. You need to do the same. Dembe tells me you are still using a safe house that Mr. Kaplan set up for you!"
Reddington looked through the glass at his constant companion. "Et tu, Dembe?"
As distasteful as Harold found the idea, he urged the other man. "Reddington, you started this. Now you need to finish it."
OOO
Finding the key was temporarily forgotten.
Every time he left, she kept going back to the small mirror. She would stare into it determined to will herself to not look away, to not cringe as she looked at her new reflection.
She was so engrossed, she lost track of the time. She didn't even hear the door opening.
"City mouse! It's good to see you up and about. I was starting to worry."
Startled by the sound of his voice, she froze.
It wasn't until he was taking the mirror out of her hand that she processed that she had lost an opportunity. The pocket mirror was small – only two inches in diameter, but still … She should have broken it and tried to use the shards to attempt to fashion a weapon.
As she started to put her bandage back on, he reached out to stop her. "Don't be like that, city mouse."
He tucked her hair behind her ear to better put on display the ruined side of her face. "Surviving something like that shows you have true grit."
He showed his teeth as he smiled at her. "I like grit."
tbc