Some hours later Ressler woke up on the couch. It was dark outside, and unbelievably, he'd slept the day away. Still feeling exhausted, he rose, took a quick shower then opened the small safe in his closet. Sitting at his kitchen table with the contents of Liz's envelope before him, he tried her number again on the phone. As it rang and rang again, he was just about to hang up when it was answered.

"Don…"

Breath catching in his throat, Ressler heard Liz's voice on the other end. It was really her. "Liz...I…"

"I know. I'm sorry, honey."

At the sound of her voice, Ressler closed his eyes and clung to the phone as she spoke.

"We have so much to talk about. But for now, just know that I am okay. Tired, and the doctor still has me on IV meds, but I'm okay." She paused, waiting for him to reply and when he didn't she asked, "Are you okay?"

"I will be..." Head bowed as he sat at the table, he listened to her voice on the other end. "It hurts that I didn't know, but I understand, Liz, why you didn't tell me." At least he'd only thought her dead a few hours, compared to about a week if he had received her letter after her funeral.

He opened his eyes, then asked, "But I do need to know something. Who did I take to the funeral home?"

"Well, that was Kate."

"Kate?"

"Yes, having $40 million in resources gives you options. Several months ago I knew I'd need a double in order to fully escape from Reddington. So we found Kate, a woman who could have surgery to look like me, to become my double when the time came for me to need one."

"A double who would need to die for you, Liz?" he asked, shaking his head.

"Yes... I was very specific with who I chose. Kate was terminally ill and facing a prolonged, painful death from cancer. I gave her the option for a quick, painless death and in turn I promised that her parents would be taken care of. She was more than satisfied with that arrangement, and I kept my promise to her, so she stepped in to be the body you took to the funeral home. No one will ever question that the woman they...you… bury isn't me."

Ressler nodded. Liz hadn't wanted his empire, but she was more like Reddington than she even realized.

"Agnes just thought I was sleeping when I was brought on board. Her and Mrs French were asleep by the time my doctor revived me, so Agnes has no clue that anything happened."

"So you thought of everything…"

"I hope so." She paused, then added, "And I hope you consider the invitation I gave you," she said softly.

Ressler nodded. There was no way he could face going back to the task force or working with Reddington after this. "I will be there," he told her, and heard the joy in her voice as she replied.

"I'll need to wait until after your...funeral… and then get my ducks in a row with everyone."

"Yes, I know, I'll be waiting," she said on the other end. "I have to go, but… I love you."

"I love you too, Liz." As he heard her hang up, he placed the phone on the table and looked at the passports and papers again. His new life lay before him, and his old life lay in tatters around him.

His mind was already looking ahead, working out how he'd exit his life here without anyone questioning why he was wanting to drop off the grid completely. He was grieving. It would look right to everyone. They would understand his desire to be done with Reddington and disappear.

They just wouldn't know Liz would be part of that.

Five Weeks Later:

Ressler stepped off the train onto a deserted platform. What few belongings he'd brought were in two gym bags, one in each hand. He turned around, taking in his surroundings. As the sound of the train faded, it was quiet on the platform. Green fields edged by trees and dotted with a few large brick farmhouses stretched to the horizon, and behind that, snow topped mountains. Very different from Washington DC that he'd departed from some 36 hours ago. His journey to get where he was had been something Aram would have been proud of, catching different flights under different aliases to finally arrive at his destination.

He'd made his farewells to Cooper, Aram and Alina, and stepped out of the life of Agent Donald Ressler, and into the life of Michael Donald Harrison, a nobody who had just arrived in a small town near the south coast of Ireland. And he'd done it willingly.

He strolled to the end of the platform, now hearing the sound of birds in the trees. He loved how quiet it was already. But his peace was broken at the sound of a car and he stepped down off the platform and came around the front. A tree lined country lane was before him, with more fields stretching away down a slope. A blue car approached and he stood there waiting, and as the car parked, he sucked in his breath at the sight before him.

Liz had exited the vehicle and stood before him, smiling. Eyes shining, she ran to him with her arms outstretched. Dropping his bags he met her halfway, folding her in his arms and burying his head in her neck clutching her tight against him, both of them now in tears.

He'd lost her, and had now found her again. He was home.

THE END