I'm a little disappointed with only receiving two reviews for the last chapter... makes me feel a little unappreciated...

It was fast approaching eight by the time they reached Liz's house. They both parked in the available spaces on her side of the street, though she noticed that Ressler stayed in his car, waiting for her to make the first move. There was a dull ache coming from the hand that gripped her keys and when she looked down she discovered why. There was a cut in the centre of her palm, not as deep as she though it was yesterday, which is probably why she didn't notice it. She was surprised that it hadn't started bleeding again with the sharp edges of the keys digging in to her but was pleased that she didn't have to wrap another dishcloth round it. Taking in a deep breath, she braced herself against what she was about to face, about what she was about to show her partner. Liz knew that Ressler would take charge of the situation, make the necessary calls, shout the necessary orders and she was grateful for not having to be in control. All she would have to do is focus on making sure her name stayed cleared.

Liz braced herself, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves over going back in to the once happy home she'd shared with her husband - the husband who lied and whose whereabouts she no longer knew of. It was one thing telling her partner of the fight that broke out in her marital home, but showing him the devastation caused was something she still hadn't mentally prepared for. She wasn't aware of how long she stayed sitting in her car, until a soft tap at the window pulled her back to reality.

Ressler pulled open her door and gave her a sympathetic half smile. "Hey, you doing okay?"

She sighed and nodded before quickly stepping out the car and slamming the door. She stopped again and stared up at the front door. She remembered the last time she was here and how she crumbled upon entering the door. She couldn't let that happen today, not in front of Ressler - breaking down in front of him once was enough.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Liz? I can go in alone and sort everything out, you can stay out here?" He had sensed her unease and was trying to give her an out but she simply shook her head and headed up the few stairs to the door.

"No. I have to do this. We better get this started, it's gonna be a long day."

She pushed the key in to the lock, twisted it and pushed the door open, taking a few steps inside and waiting for her partner to join her. She knew he had when she heard his sharp intake of breath upon seeing the state of her living room. He overtook her and walked slowly through the room to the kitchen, trying - and failing - to avoid the glass and broken frames. Liz backed herself to the wall by the door, hating the site before her. It made her feel ill being in the house, having a clear mind now and knowing that everything in it was built and based on lies. She wasn't aware that Ressler had moved back towards her until his hand connected with her shoulder.

"Hey, Liz, you really don't have to stay. I can tell this is hard for you." His voice was soft when he spoke, comforting. She shook her head and tried to regain her composure.

"It is hard. A lot harder than I thought, considering that I was only here last night." She moved away from the wall, and from Resslers touch, and walked through the debris and pointed to the broken table. "It started here. He was tied to one of the chairs. It's better that I give you a run down of what happened before you call it in, then I can make a formal statement. I used a wrench and broke his thumb which led to him able able to escape the restraints. We fought, for a while. As you can see we moved through the downstairs of the house, managed to break everything in sight. He managed to get the better of me, a well aimed blow to the stomach. He forced me at gun point, my own gun , to cuff myself to the banister, hence why that's the only broken bar. He said goodbye and left, and he left my gun behind, out of my reach though."

Ressler didn't say a word while she spoke, just nodded along at regular intervals. Truth be told it was difficult for him to stand there a listen about how his partner was beaten by her husband. He was glad that, by the sounds of it, she had done more damage to Tom than he had to her, but that still didn't make it any easier.

"Jesus, Keen. I wish you'd let me rough him up all those months ago." He gave her a half smile which she returned.

"Believe me, so do I." The disappeared almost as fast as it came, being replaced with a sombre expression. "I'm a profiler, and have been for years, yet I couldn't even figure out that my own husband was a fake. What does that say about me?"

"That you loved and trusted him. He made you feel safe, Liz, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to the best of us."

She sighed. Trust him to be the voice of reason. "You're right, I know you're right but it doesn't make it easier to comprehend. I suppose it's time to get the ball rolling?"

"Yeah." He nodded and pulled out his phone. "You sure you want to be in the house when they get here? You know you won't be able to be involved and will probably have to leave anyway."

"I know, but I don't want it to seem like I'm a coward. I'll stay."

"No one will think that."

"Yes, they will. I brought Tom to the Blacksite for questioning and he was cleared. People will think that I had something to do with it then and something to do with it now, you know they will. It's better that I save face sooner rather than later."

"If you say so."

Ressler unlocked his phone and dialled Coopers number, waiting patiently for his boss to answer. He only waited until the fifth ring before the call connected.

"Cooper."

"Sir, it's Ressler. We have a situation."

"What situation? Where are you?"

"At Keen's. Her husband, Tom Keen, is on the run. He's a hired gun, a spy, placed in Keen's life to gather intel on Reddington. We were wrong, Sir, he was involved." It took a few moments for the gravity of Resslers words to sink in and for Cooper to respond.

"Is Keen with you now?"

"Yes, Sir. I need a team dispatched to her apartment ASAP." Ressler looked up at Liz, wanting her approval before continuing. She nodded quickly before averted her gaze and taking a seat on the arm of the couch. "It's a crime scene."

"Is Keen alright, is she hurt?" Ressler heard the deep concern in Cooper's voice.

"She's not injured."

"I'll have a team to you in no more than twenty minutes. Tell Keen I want her in my office within the hour."

"Copy that." He ended the call and placed his phone back in his pocket. Turning to Liz, he found her staring around the room again, searching amongst the broken pieces of her life. He cleared his throat loud enough for her to turn back to him.

"Cooper's sending a team, they'll be here in twenty, and he wants to see you in his office within the next hour."

She sighed and nodded. "And so it begins... Thank you."

He smiled. "No problem, Liz. That's why I'm here."

They stayed in silence for the next twenty minutes, both not wanting to say anything more on what was happening. Liz stayed sitting on the arm of the couch but Ressler walked around the downstairs of her house. Without the broken wood and glass showering the floor, it was quite a homely place. He could tell a lot of effort went in to making it a place a couple would want to live, he knew he would. He hated to imagine what his partner must be going through, her whole world had been turned upside down and honestly, if he were in her shoes, he didn't know how he'd cope.

"Ressler." Liz called through to him. She'd been staring out the window for the last ten minutes, waiting. "They're here."

The next fifteen minutes were spent with Ressler giving orders to the group of Agents that had arrived of her doorstep, with Liz avoiding their gazes from the corner. She could see them judging her, drawing their own conclusions without knowing all the facts. She stayed in the corner for a further five minutes before Ressler came over to her.

"Every things is under control here, Liz, you can head off."

"Yeah." She grabbed her purse from beside her feet. "There's a white stuffed rabbit in one of the boxes in the downstairs closet, keep it safe for me."

"Will do. I'll see you later."

They nodded to each other and Liz left her home through the open front door, leaving the group of agents to search through the house. She was confident that they wouldn't find anything to suggest she was working with Tom, or anything tying her to Reddington. The drive to the Post Office was filled with worry over what to expect from Cooper, but, whatever he had to say, didn't change the fact that she needed to talk to him about her resignation. Thinking about it now, it would probably be better for her not to be employed by the FBI during the ongoing investigation in to her husband. She had some money from the sale of her fathers house, she could buy a little apartment, take some time for herself before embarking on a new adventure. Perhaps she could become a therapist, maybe do a few course and go down a completely different path. She would just have to see where things take her.

It was just after nine when she finally reached the Blacksite and as she exited the elevator on to the War Room. Aram was sitting at his desk but shot up as she approached him.

"What's the matter, Aram?"

He was a nervous wreck, torn between divulging what he knew or not. He gave a sideways look towards Coopers office before speaking.

"Mr Reddington. He... uh... is in with Dir. Cooper, with Dembe. I don't know why but he came in about ten minutes ago and they've been in there since."

Liz looked up at the office for herself and made eye contact with Dembe, who was currently starting at her exchange with Aram. Anger returned to her as Dembe turned away, clearing making Reddington aware of her presence. Turning back to the young computer tech, she gently patted his shoulder.

"Thank you, Aram. I'll see you later."

She turned on her heel and marched straight up and in to Coopers office, not even bothering to knock before entering.