Damien watches Aria enter the room. The beauty of her youth as transformed into the elegance of maturity. She is dressed in the style that he adored. She is not dressed as the assassin that she has become. She is dressed as his Vivienne. He was shocked to receive this message from her. He resisted answering after her latest warning. He is well aware that she could have killed him with ease so many times. She is essentially his kryptonite. He has no defense to her especially when this particular manifestation walks into his world. She takes her place in the seat across from him. He pours her a glass of wine. He is unsure of her motivations but he is quite willing to spend some time with his Vivienne.

"It has been a long time since I have seen this side of you." Aria laughs as she sips from her glass. "That was a lifetime ago, Damien." She slides a memento across the table which renders him speechless. He gazes up at her and back down at her offering. He rolls it between his fingers taking in the detail. She has revealed where she has been. He places it in his pocket and takes out a cigarette case. He takes out two cigarettes and lights them. He hands one to Aria. They share the same vice for a particular brand of clove cigarettes from India. A shared vice from time spent.

Aria assumes the role of the typical French woman. Damien has always been amazed as to how Aria just blends. She has always possessed this gift. His thoughts drift to London as he enjoys her presence. Memories of precious moments flow from his memory. He is wondering about Aria's recent adventures. He knows that his family is safe. Aria lives by a code and she would never harm them under any circumstance but why was she there?

She delights him with conversation for a long while which unsettles him. She was the one, the one woman that he wanted to keep forever. The circumstances of their lives doomed that from the start. The look on her face when her heart turned to stone is burned into his memory. It shattered his own heart within his chest. There was no going back from the fact that he killed both her mother and her sister. It was a secret he could conceal for only so long until she would find out. There is just no recovery from something like that… He wished that he could take it back… change the facts but that is fantasy.

Music begins to play from a quartet near the fountain. Damien takes a chance to prolong the moment with Aria. He offers his hand and much to his surprise, she accepts his romantic gesture. Others have begun to dance taken with the romance that the city and location present. Damien holds her close. He takes in every inch of her. The scent of her skin, her perfume, the curve of her body against his own transports him to another place and a long ago time.

Aria can feel the eyes upon her. The uncomfortable truth and her past are on display for all those she loves to see. This is the part of her world that she concealed from all of them. Sophie makes the first comment. "That is the look of a man in love." Sophie watches the interaction between Aria and Damien with fascination. She wonders the history that brought them to this place. Eliot's eyes burn holes through the screen at the thought of that shared past of Aria and Damien. Aria knows they are all watching and it is killing her inside. As of the last year or so… nothing in her life has been hers to keep, her life and secrets have been on display for everyone to see.

Aria can see her out of the corner of her eye. She has to wait for the Italian to strike. She trusts that her counterparts are in place but this first move she must anticipate on her own. She uses the windows of the shops to watch the movements of the Italian in their own little dance. It is at this moment that Eliot sees it too. He sees the Italian and her men stalking Aria. Aria knows in such a crowded space, the Italian and her men would have to get close. It only takes a moment for the Italian's men to strike by pulling and firing a small handgun. Aria turns around and takes multiple bullets to the torso. She falls against Damien as Sterling comes up behind the Italian and disarms her as other take care of her men. Aria knew that the Italian would be sent to witness this herself. "There is not be an encore, Bella."

Damien is both shocked and horrified as he places his hands over the wounds on Aria in a vain attempt to stop the flow of blood. He lured Aria to a trap. Damien frantically tries to help Aria. Aria looks up at him and knows this is the moment. "Make it right, my love." Damien starts yelling for help. As Aria falls limp in his arms with her eyes wide, Damien grows more desperate. He is covered in Aria's blood as he pleads for help. Damien's eyes rip holes in the Italian as she is lead away.

Eliot and Mack are about to jump out of their skin seeing Aria lying in a pool of blood with her blank expression in view of the camera. Nate stops Eliot from leaping out of the van. "Eliot stop." Eliot is not sure why he is going to listen to Nate but something in his voice tells him to stop.

Damien is losing his mind as he reaches to feel a pulse on Aria's neck. Aria's eyes are open staring into space as Damien grabs at Aria. Mack and Eliot to exchange a look of horror. They know in their hearts it is likely a set up but the image is hard to shake. Several Interpol officers come up behind him and take Damien into custody. Aria is removed from the scene before them on the screen. She is removed at great haste my someone that Hardison instantly recognizes.

In a second, the rear door of the van is opened with Lexi carrying Aria. Aria looks like death with her eyes open and a blank stare. There is blood all over her torso and Eliot has a flashback to the moment so long ago when they came up on Aria in similar circumstances. . Eliot grabs her shoulders as they pull Aria across the floor of the van. "Help me, I only have a few more minutes." Lexi rips her shirt open exposing her upper chest where there is quite literally an X marking the spot. "Hold her head." Eliot immediately responds by taking Aria's head into his hands looking into her blank stare with his concern mounting. Lexi pulls out a needle of adrenaline and plunges it into her chest.

In seconds Aria lunges awake breathing heavy. Her eyes are wide as her air fills her lungs. Eliot grabs Aria and holds he as she tries to regain control of her body. Aria's heart is racing as she tries to catch her breath. "Sophie… grab the scissors get her out of that damn thing." Lexi pulls off the rest of Aria's shirt exposing a steel boned corset with blood loads sewn on it. Aria's words are broken as the drugs over take her system rushing her back to life. Sophie smiles at Lexi. "Next best thing to body armor." Parker appears with scissors to cut away the corset.

Mack is a little freaked out, he has seen Aria die before his eyes so many times at this point… it is just not right. Aria points to Mack and motions for his jacket as Lexi runs the scissors up the laces. Eliot looks at Lexi. "Is she okay." Lexi smiles. "I would never harm Aria, it is my own concoction, she might be up for three days… but there is no harm now. We needed to appropriately motivate Mr. Moreau." Lexi looks over Aria to make sure she is okay. He touches Aria's face looking for the sign that she is with him. As Lexi parts from her, Eliot moves in to have a world with him.

"He was in love with her wasn't he?" Eliot knows that Lexi is familiar with this part of Aria's history. "He is in love with her, Eliot. Aria is worthy of true love. Which is something that I wish she would find. She has endured enough in the name of both of our countries."

Mack wraps his jacket around Aria gently taking care for where she is already injured. He turns her towards him. He saw her face. He saw what those moments with Damien were stirring up in her now that he knows the story. What he also realizes is that whether she wants to admit it or not. She needs Shelley more than ever in her life. He has seen the look of love on her face when she is with Shelley. She needs that kind of love. All Mack can think to do is wrap himself around Aria. She is still shaking and breathless from the antidote to Lexi's concoction. Aria does not fight Mack. She surrenders to his embrace. There is no time to be wasted on unimportant details at this time, Lexi knows that they needs to get everyone back to the states in one piece. This is far from over there is much more to do.

The Italian and Moreau are transported to an airport by Interpol. Sterling is met by Vance and several members of the clandestine services of the US government at the airport. Once transported to a secret location in the US, the interrogations begin. Sterling plays an integral part of the process. Damien is distraught and inconsolable at the loss of Aria. Sterling acknowledges that Aria was the kink in his armor. Damien honors his promise to Aria. He exposes the Major for who he actual is giving up the role the Italian plays in the operation. The Italian makes a deal to have certain unfortunate charges lessened.

Back in DC:

Aria and Vance walk into the meeting with all eyes upon them. The Secretary had been briefed along with the Joint Chiefs. This was going to be unpleasant under the best of circumstances and a disaster under the worst. The Deputy Secretary is present and accounted for. His suspicions are raised as the guards fill the room. Aria tosses a battleship game piece at him. He catches the game piece and looks at it with a smug smirk.

"It would seem that you have been a naughty boy Mr. Deputy Secretary." Vance volleys as he dumps a handful of bright red files on the table with a thud. The Major looks up at Aria without acknowledging Vance's actions. "I heard a rumor that you were dead." Aria gives him a sarcastic look as she answers. "Rumors of my death have been exaggerated." Aria pulls out a chair popping her feet onto the table.

"It would seem that you have made a move to end the game… such a pity." The Major sits back in his chair spinning the piece in his fingers. Aria narrows her eyes at him. "I loved the players… you loved the game." Aria glances up at Vance. The Secretary looks at his deputy with the treason of his actions. He cannot believe that this went on right under his nose. A traitor, an arms dealer, has managed to infiltrate the highest levels of his government on his watch.

The Major stares Aria down from across the room as he gazes over the damning evidence against him. The Major is actually quite surprised that Aria was able to break his Italian. He had been after Aria since he went after her father. She just wouldn't stay dead. He is escorted from the room under the watchful eye of the guards.

After he has been removed from the room, the Secretary of Defense looks up at Aria. "Immoral, illegal and even incorrigible but never stupid…" Aria gives him a smile as she removes her feet from the table. "So what is next on the agenda Ms. Quinn?" She gives him a wink. "I am retiring. I am too old for this…." Vance covers her mouth before the last word in the phrase leaves her lips. Aria turns and exits the room leaving the brass shaking their heads. She catches a glimpse of Sterling in the hall as she heads to the exit. He has unfinished business and greets Aria with a tap to the forehead.

Mack, Eliot and Shelley are gathered at their usual spot Vance will be along in a while. They are waiting on Aria to make an appearance. Aria enters the room with a lightness about her that they have not seen in a long time. Aria pauses for a moment on her approach to take in the the sight of her boys. For the briefest of moments, there is no one to chase, no one to catch, and they are not in anyone's cross hairs. Aria takes the seat next to Mack as he pushes his drink in front of her and he waves down the waitress for another. It is a rare occasion where the weight of the world is not as apparent across Aria's face. Mack rubs her shoulder after which he realizes that she still has the road rash and inhales deeply at the touch. He kisses her cheek as an apology.

"Sorry, forgot." Aria smiles downs his drink in a single sip for medicinal purposes. Shelley gives her a grin as he pokes at her. "So now that you brought down the State Department… what is next on your agenda, Princess?" She gives him a smile with her eyes lingering on his gaze. "I think I will retire on that note. I can't fix everything."

"That's my job now." Vance walks up to the table. He waves to the waitress for his usual. "You certainly made an impression baby girl." Shelley laughs. "I would have paid to see the look on the Major's face." This is the first time in a long time that Aria feels even a small return to normal. She is sitting with her boys. At this moment, this is what she needs most of all. They drink and talk for hours. Mack realizes that Aria hasn't slept, hasn't eaten, and is actually bombed though you would never realize it.

Eliot is the first to announce his departure. He kisses Aria and shakes the hands of his brothers. "If I don't show my face at home soon, my wife is going to declare me dead." Vance takes his leave as well. "Take care of her." He instructs Mack. Aria is now leaning against him taking in the world from a new alcohol fueled perspective.

Shelley realizes that it is getting quite late and though he wants to stay with Aria. He must leave to tend to his son. "You got her?" Mack smiles at him. He knows how torn Shelley is about leaving Aria. "I will take good care of her. I promise." He crosses his heart. Shelley tosses money on the table and takes a last look at Aria with a soft smile. "You'd better."

"Come on Princess. We don't have to go home but we can't stay here." Mack walks out with her arm in arm with Aria leaning into him as she hangs on to steady her steps. Mack pours her into his truck and heads to Aria's DC townhouse. He pulls out his key to her place as he throws Aria over his shoulder. Mack plops Aria down on her bed and takes up the position next to her. Despite her stupor, Aria realizes that there is something on Mack's mind. "What's on your mind, Handsome." Mack is surprised that Aria has picked up on his vibe in her current state. He knew that they were going to have this conversation he just did not expect it to be today but there is no time like the present.

"You really loved him didn't you?" Aria absorbs the question for a few moments to filter out the haze in her head. "I did… before I knew it was all a lie." Mack rolls over so that he can watch Aria's expressions. He puts out his arm so that she can lie close to him.

"What do you mean?" Aria again absorbs the question. "Connie, I didn't know what love was. I didn't exactly have what you could term as a normal childhood. I had screwed up relationships my whole life. Every relationship I ever had had an ulterior motive. Everything was a game. Until I met you…"

Aria's words touch him deeply. He is only beginning to realize just how much they all mean to Aria. The picture is only beginning to become clear as Aria's world becomes open to them and how vulnerable that must make her feel. Aria kept her world compartmentalized for decades. She had been allowing them in slowly but Mack is quite sure that Aria never intended this. Mack can see Aria growing tired during the pauses in the conversation. Mack pulls her close to make her feel safe at a moment when he knows that she is feeling so very vulnerable. He realizes how exposed she felt as they watched her past come alive on the screens of the van. The greatest betrayal of her life was on full display and she had to endure it to do what was right. He is glad she brought down the Major. After what he did to the two of them, he deserves all that is coming to him and more. There is not enough pain to make up for what he did. Mack had already called Wendy to tell her that he was with Aria. He grabs a blanket and pulls it over the two of them and drifts off next to Aria.

Eliot drives through the night to get home to Amy. She meets him at the door. Eliot has never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. He has never known what it was like to have someone to come home to. Well, at least the same someone more than once. She is radiant. He walks in the door pulling her into a deep kiss. He has never been so settled in his life. This is what makes life worth living. It is what makes all that they did worth the trouble. In way, Aria has given him absolution. She brought justice to his world. He can never change what he did but he can more forward from it.

Shelley walks into his house and sneaks into his son's room. He sits in the chair for a long while staring at him. His life has been forever changed. It has been forever changed for the better. He now knows how he wants his life to be but there is a missing piece. He longs for Aria to become part of his world. Her "I love you" has echoed in his head from the moment the words left her lips at the barn. He knows that if Aria is going to leave the game, she is going to need a bit of time to adjust and he will have to wait.

Aria makes the rounds with her boys before she heads out of town. Aria heads to her home in Maine. She needs to figure out what is next and her home in Maine is where she feels most settled. It is where her alter egos were born. It is where her happiest memories of recent times are housed. It is the center of her universe.