Sandcastles at the Beach

Elizabeth Keen had never been a trusting individual by nature, and as time went on the list of who she trusted was narrowed down pretty well. Some names had come on and off that list a few times - Red and Tom's the most - but after the dust settled from the latest round of chaos, a few more truths out in the air, and life finally beginning to settle into something akin to the new normal again, she thought that she was a little better at making that judgement call these days. She trusted her team, she trusted her husband, and, though there were times when she knew he'd still hide the truth, she trusted Red to at least have his heart in the right place. Boundaries helped as long as he stuck to them. Time would tell, but with Alexander Kirk taken off of the board as a threat, she felt like she had a little more leeway to give that to him.

One person that Liz was certain she didn't trust was Susan Hargrave. Tom had told her what Red had said to him about his and Scottie's connection, but the Keens had agreed that until there was proof beyond just his word, that Tom needed to do some digging into it on his own. Liz had encouraged it, and he'd taken the job with Halcyon that had been offered. It took him away some nights, but her job did as well. They balanced what they did best and their little slice of normal when they got home to be with Agnes. It wasn't easy, but they hadn't been under any delusions that it would be.

The call had been a surprising one, and with Tom out of town on assignment Liz had almost turned the invitation down. Something inside of her had said to go, though, and while her trust in Scottie Hargrave might be limited, she trusted her own instincts pretty well, so she had gotten Agnes into her car seat and had driven to Scottie's more public offices that she kept.

Liz had been once, very briefly, and she and Tom both wondered if Scottie actually lived in part of the mansion that she kept her office in. People seemed to walk in and out of the front door easily enough, though, and Liz found herself escorted upstairs to wait. She picked her daughter up, Agnes' smile easing some of the tension and balanced her carefully as she moved to look at the photos on display. One drew her attention, and it had to have been the one her husband had mentioned. A little boy sat between his parents, a floppy hat hiding his dark hair, and blue eyes bright underneath. She swallowed hard, looking at the photo as carefully as she could without Agnes making a grab for it. Tom didn't have any photos of himself as a child, but it didn't take a lot to imagine he would have looked very similar. The idea of him being so young and so innocent brought a small smile to her face, and she couldn't help but think that the little boy in the picture and Agnes shared the same smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I got a call almost as soon as I hung up with you," Scottie grumbled as she entered the office. "It's amazing what little things people will panic over. Thank you for coming by."

"You picked the right day to call," Liz answered noncommittally even as Scottie reached a finger out for Agnes to grab hold of.

"Hello, sweetie," the older woman greeted before holding up an envelope to the little girl's mother. "I know your time is valuable and you've already lost enough of it with your daughter, so I'll get to the point of the visit."

Liz tilted her head in question as Scottie's fingers worked at the envelope seal and pulled a worn photo from it. She handed it to Liz and the younger woman's blue gaze swept over a beach with two small children playing in the sand together, a woman leaned in over the little girl as if she were going to help her with something. It took a moment, but Liz recognized the little girl as herself. "What is this?"

Scottie offered a thin smile. "I'd imagine that you don't have many photos of your mother, so when I found this tucked away this morning I thought you might want it."

"Why do you have a picture of my mother?" Liz asked carefully as she pulled the photograph as close as she dared. The woman's face was mostly hidden from the camera, her hair darker there than it had been in the photo in Reddington's apartment, but still, it did look like the same woman. There was no mistaking the little girl for anyone other than Liz herself.

"I took the photo. Katarina brought you out to the beach for a few days when my husband and I rented out a house there. I think she just needed a few days to feel… normal. I'm sure you understand the sentiment."

Scottie Hargrave had known her mother. The words worked their way in and her focus shifted from Katarina Rostova, ever the spy avoiding directly looking into the camera, and to the little boy that she had been playing with. He wore the same hat as Christopher Hargrave in the photo Liz had been looking at, and he was all smiles as he and a toddler Masha Rostova built up a sandcastle that they must have been proud of. Liz felt the world shift a little under her and she pulled in a steadying breath, moving to sit Agnes back down in her car seat until she was certain she could regain her composure. "The little boy is your son."

"Mm. Christopher. You two were around the same age. I think Katarina was worried that you were growing up too isolated, but she didn't trust you with just anyone. It's funny… my perfect little boy. He was always so shy around new people, but he warmed right up to you. You two had so much fun out there."

Liz's thumb moved over the two of them in the photo, the little boy that may have grown to be the man she loved smiling brightly in it, and she cleared her throat. "Tom said he died?"

"He went missing not long after this photo was taken. This is one of the last ones I have of him."

The words carried more weight than they might have if Liz hadn't spent so much time away from her own child. Tom had taken pictures and videos of Agnes while they'd been separated, anything to document the time that she couldn't physically be there with her. Even now that she had her little girl back, she had a hard time imagining giving those memories up. The idea of doing so if Agnes weren't in her life was impossible. Did she know? Red was so certain that she didn't and Tom had said time and again that he didn't think she truly suspected it either. Now, having the conversation that they were having at that moment, Liz wasn't sure. "Why would you give this to me?"

Scottie's smile remained sad. "You and I didn't get off to a good start in your adult life, Elizabeth. I would like to rectify that. Katarina never did let many people take photos of her, and after everything that you've been through recently, I can imagine that having something to hold onto of a mother that loved you more than life itself would be special."

She nodded slowly. "Do you… You said that he disappeared. Do you think your son is alive?"

"I'm a mother. I'll always hope that there'll be a day when I walk into a room and find him." She blinked hard, a smile that probably could have fooled most people tilting her lips. "I have a meeting that I need to go to. Enjoy your day with Agnes. I've told your husband, but I want you to know that if you need anything, all you have to do is ask."

"Thank you."

Scottie left Liz alone with her daughter and the photo she'd given to her. She wasn't sure if she had just had a conversation with a mother desperate to get in her son's good graces before reaching out to him with the truth, or a boss that wanted to make sure that her very dangerous employee didn't still blame her for his wife's near death. The photo was special to them both, there was no doubting that, and the fact that Katarina had been in it was the perfect excuse to keep suspicions at least at bay.

Liz closed her eyes and pulled in a deep breath. "Things are never going to be simple, are they?" she murmured to Agnes and her little girl blinked up at her sleepily. She got her strapped in and started downstairs and towards the car, thoughts of sandcastles and little boy she'd known a long time ago pulling at her thoughts.

Notes: The idea of Liz and Tom meeting as children is something that Tessa over on Tumblr suggested. I love the idea so much. It would seem that the Hargraves, the Rostov(a)s, and Red all have a very twisty past together and that they've all known each other for many years, so it's certainly plausible. This was originally going to be part of another one shot I'm working on, but it felt like it was complicating a one shot a bit too much, so it got its own this morning :)