Putting the Band Back Together

by mascaret

Reddington said it again and closed his eyes in frustration and exhaustion. "It's not Dembe." Cooper frowned. "If that's true – and I don't think that it is - we may have managed to stop the poison, but we are still no closer to figuring out who it is targeting you."

5. Chapter 5

Putting the Band Back Together

Chapter 5

Trying to hand the bottle back, Reddington made a puckered face and complained. "This tastes awful!"

"I don't care what it tastes like. It's full of electrolytes. Drink it."

While Reddington started on the peanut butter, Elizabeth got down to business. "I know you don't want to believe it, but all the evidence points to Dembe."

"How many times do I have to say it? It's not Dembe!"

Gently, Liz pointed out. "Dembe is on the run. He's not answering his phone. He hasn't checked in."

"Dembe is running to something, not from me." Reddington insisted.

"If Dembe isn't the one that poisoned you than why didn't he get sick too? Just because the poison was tailored specifically to you, doesn't mean it wouldn't have made him sick too."

Whether it was having Mr. Kaplan back by his side or the little bit of food in his belly, Reddington was starting to get back his cheek. "I feel like I am talking to Donald! The answer to that should be pretty obvious – he didn't get sick because he didn't drink any of the poison."

"But why didn't he drink any? How did he know not to?" Liz asked.

"He didn't drink because he was driving that night and while he plans to be an organ donor in the near future, he wasn't planning on being one that night! Dembe would never betray me!"

"I bet you used to say that exact same thing about Mr. Kaplan – that she would never betray you."

"And she never has!"

Liz was floored. "Okay ... What do you call helping me fake my death to get away from you?"

"Mr. Kaplan didn't betray me. What Mr. Kaplan did was a fulfillment of my wishes."

Liz raised an eyebrow. "You wanted me dead?"

"Mr. Kaplan was doing exactly what I asked her to. You were in danger. She was trying to protect you. To do it ... she put your safety over my interests."

Gaping, Liz couldn't even begin to formulate a response to that. She glanced Mr. Kaplan's way to gauge her reaction. Liz was pretty sure she caught the end of an eye roll.

Still, Mr. Kaplan sided with Reddington on the Dembe topic. "It's not Dembe. I may not know what has been going on here the past few weeks or months, but that I know. Now … why don't the two of you tell me exactly what has been going on since I've been gone?"

tbc