Episodes 11-14
Good Samaritan:
My phone vibrates against the countertop of the kitchen counter.
FBI Mobile Psych:
The Good Samaritan.
Gabe just stares out the window that is above the sink. He's staring at the surveillance team that has been following us both around. This is going to be a constant reminder of the breach I successfully underwent at the Post Office. I hand him his cane.
"Who was that?" he asks me.
"Mobile Psych. The Samaritan is back."
Gabe knows about my history with this guy. One of his victims died in my arms. I watched as she fought for every last breath she had until she finally gave up.
"Go get him, babe," he tells me.
I hate to see him once again incapacitated. This time is a bit more serious. He's on a cane and is going to be for a while. He almost lost his leg. I'm getting really tired of having people I care about in harm's way.
Because of Reddington.
Because some criminal just had to hop into my life and take it for a ride.
Speaking of Reddington, I haven't spoken or seen him since the day of the incursion. He's probably out seeking his revenge. I probably would be.
Seeing as I'm not with the mobile unit anymore, or a full-fledged Quantico-based Profiler, it's going to be hard to get the team on this case, but seeing as this case is important to me, it'll be important to Reddington.
I tell Cooper as much.
It's enough for him to bite at the bait seeing as Reddington's retrieval is most important right now.
Unfortunately, after I get out of Cooper's office, I see IA there waiting for me.
Great. This is going to be as pleasant as getting an enema. I'd rather give birth again.
"Have you had contact with Reddington?"
The rest of the conversation reminds me of Charlie Brown. Woa. Woa. Woa.
I get back into the house to see Gabe asleep on the couch. The pain meds they gave him knock him on his ass. They would probably knock out a bear.
My phone vibrates in my hand and I go outside to answer it.
"Hello?" I answer the unknown caller, even though I know who it is.
"Lizzie —"
I don't ask him the question Coop would want me to because I know he won't answer it.
"You okay?" I ask him.
"I read about that poor woman in Albany. The Good Samaritan. You're back on the case, I hope. This one is important to you, isn't he? Why? What on Earth happened?"
"One of his victims died in my arms. I just sat there and watch her fight for every last breath and then give up. I had this guy Profiled to a T, Red. And still nothing. His victims reminded me of abuse patterns. Thought he might be someone who works with kids or in the medical field."
"You'll get him, Lizzie."
He's telling me goodbye.
"Be careful."
I walk into my house and see Melanie playing in the living room floor.
"Mommy!" she greets me with a giant grin.
I pet the mass of brown hair that I find at my crotch. Melanie's little arms are wrapped around as much of me as possible.
"Hi, baby. Where's daddy?"
"He's taking a shower."
A movement catches my eye on the back porch. If Gabe is in the shower, who the hell is in my backyard right now? My hand makes my way to my waist. If this is Jake, I swear I'm going to put a bullet in his ugly mug. "I'll be back in a minute. Stay here and play. I'll be back to cook us some grub, little bug."
"Okay!" Melanie does as she's told and continues her playing in the living room floor.
I walk out back to the patio to see Red sitting in one of my patio chairs.
"What are you doing here?"
I appreciate the fact that he is leaving Melanie alone. Any association between the two would be costly. He obviously knows this.
"How did things go with your case?"
I stay silent. I finally got the bastard.
"Congratulations. I'm proud of you."
"Are you back?" I ask him.
"I don't know," he says wearily. I can tell he wants to be back. What for, I cannot say. "My house is clean. Yours is not."
"I know. I hope it is Fowler. Vile woman," I say.
Red jut laughs. "So we're back where we began. Me speaking with you."
I'm flattered.
"Well, then. Welcome back. Where have you been anyway?"
Red just laughs. "Out and about."
"I'm sorry about whomever it was in your network that betrayed you."
Red just acts casual about what I just said. "You've said it yourself. I surround myself with associates who can turn on me in an instant. You graduated top of your class for a reason, I see."
"What are we going to do about Jake?" I ask him.
He just looks at me with those green eyes and I can tell that he's a bit lost. "I don't know. But be careful of him. Protect your family, Lizzie. Any time you see him, notify me. I'll leave you to your life. Be safe."
[SKIPPING ALCHEMIST]
The Cyprus Agency (no. 64)
The restaurant we're in is a bit out of the Keen financial reach, but we don't have to worry about it because the Senator is taking care of it. Gabriel and Senator Daniel Hodgkin have been friends for a long time and golf together ever Sunday afternoon. It's quite a good friend to have in this climate. And the fact that Hodgkin is actually a good, clean politician is good as well.
"Can I get your drink orders?" the waitress asks after we're seated.
"I'll have a scotch on the rocks," The Senator replies with a mischievous little smile.
"And you ma'am?" the waitress asks Becca, Dan's wife.
"I'll have a glass of Pinot Noir," she replies.
Gabriel orders a glass of brandy and I'm the only one of the group that doesn't get an alcoholic beverage. I just simply get water.
I can't drink. Not for a good few months.
Gabriel doesn't think anything of it. He knows that since Melanie was born, I don't drink as often as I did. I'm not one for putting myself into a position where I can lose my family. I know that I'm in no danger of becoming a drunk, but since my father abandoned me, I promised myself a long time ago that I would never do something like that to my daughter. I would never leave her nor would I ever let her go.
When our waitress comes back asking for our food orders, I steer clear of the fish.
In case you haven't figured it out by now, I'm pregnant.
I just found out this morning in fact.
It happened before the Anslo incident. That's the last time Gabe and I were intimate. He can't exactly tear up a bed with his leg being like it is.
To answer your unspoken question: No. Jake is not the father. I dislike Jacob. We spoke of getting out of that life, but he went further in. I gave it up to be with Gabe. I gave up that world before it ate me alive.
What this will do to my job, I don't know. I really could care less. I'm not the kind of person to put anything above my family. I wasn't brought up in the right way for that. Boy, my father sure put a world of hurt on me, didn't he?
A night out with the Senator is always fun. They truly care. We need more politicians like Dan up on the Hill.
After the sitter leaves, I can't help but to check on Lanie to make sure she's all right. Sure enough, my baby girl is lying there on her bed with her arm hanging off of the bed. I've seen her sleep like that multiple times, but I always place her arm back on the bed. This night is no different.
I walk back towards the bedroom to see Gabe in the process of changing clothes. I just lean up against the doorframe and stare at the muscular man who is mine. Though he is the reason I was almost arrested when I was 18, I've been madly in love with him ever since.
"Are you just going to stand there all night?" he asks me with a smile. His hazel eyes shine with humor.
I smile, but it quickly fades away.
I can see him working his PsyOps mojo. The gears in his head are turning so fast that they're smoking.
"What's wrong?" he asks me.
"I'm pregnant," I answer in a rushed breath.
Gabriel just smiles. "Really?" he asks as his grin grows.
"Really," I say.
"Isn't that a good thing?" he asks me.
"Of course it is, but I don't see how it's going to work with work. Does that make sense? 'Work with work.' That's weird. Odd," I sputter out. I get like this when I'm nervous.
"Hey. Hey, calm down," Gabe tells me as he gimps towards me. He takes me into his arms and pulls me tight against his cotton-covered chest. I breathe in his scent and take it in. It's better than any prescription anti-anxiety medication I can get from a doctor. "We'll figure it out, okay? First thing you need to do is let Cooper know. Then maybe tell Reddington. Hell, he probably already knows."
"But, but —" I really have no idea on what I'm going to ask him.
"Hey. You're on the Task Force to talk to Reddington. That's why you're here. You're a Profiler, not a field agent so it's going to be okay." Gabe pulls me away from him and his eyes search mine.
"Gabe, Reddington changes things. We're not safe. You've been attacked twice. I've been blown up, shot at and had to breach our own building. I've been tailed everywhere I've gone since Garrick. By us and another team."
"So have I. It's Red's team," he responds.
"I know I should know better than to ask you this, but do you trust him?" I ask.
"Only where it concerns you."
"How can we bring a child into this? How can we bring a child into a life filled with violence."
Gabriel looks at me seriously. "Because we must."
I don't really feel like showering tonight. I'll shower in the morning. I'll shower on the morning I'll tell my boss that I'm pregnant.
I have a simple little request: pray for me.
Please. (?)
After I get out of the shower, I'm greeted by the smell of breakfast cooking. I slept in a bit later than I usually do and the morning sickness is nothing to be coveted.
Ugh, I think as I flush the toilet, sending my vomit swirling around.
After my teeth are brushed (again), I grab my hairdryer and get to work. Gabe walks into the bathroom, completely unconcerned by my half-dressed state and places a plate of eggs and bacon on the counter for me.
He gives me a kiss on the cheek. "It's a good thing the general population doesn't see you like this," he says as he laughs.
I just give him a face as I attempt to push him out of the door. It's a bit hard to do with a hairdryer in my hand and a piece of bacon hanging out of my mouth. Multitasking like this, I'm not exactly intimidating.
Gab just barges forward and gives me a kiss on the lips, taking some of the bacon with him. "Love you," he tells me before he leaves.
"Hey, it's not cool to tease the woman overflowing with hormones!" "Foreplay!" is my response.
I laugh as I grab the nearest thing I can reach that isn't food, which is a bar of soap, and chuck it at him. I miss, but hitting him wasn't the point.
I'm out of the bathroom, now with flat hair, dressed, gussied up and with the clean breakfast plate in my hand. It's a miracle how a few minutes in the bathroom can make such a difference.
I bring the rest of my breakfast in the kitchen with Gabe.
"Why haven't you given up on me yet?" I ask him. "Who signs up for this life? You fell in love with a young girl you didn't even know — Who was a criminal. Just to find out that a notorious criminal has been stalking her for her entire life."
"A questions that answers itself," Gabe says.
"Is this all worth it?" I ask him.
I see the confusion flash across Gabe's face like a comet would shoot through the sky.
"Liz, how can you ask that?"
"Because I question it all the time."
"Liz, you know I've known about Red's involvement in your life for a while. I loved you then and I love you now. Argue all you want to on this subject, but I knew exactly who you are. Elise or not. You and Melanie's happiness and protection is the first priority to me. Speaking of Melanie, we gotta to get the lil bug to school."
After Lanie is dropped off at school, Gabe and I head in to the Post Office. I'm nervous as I walk into the Blacksite. With what I'm fixing to tell Cooper feels like I'm walking into a den of hungry lions with a hunk of meat tied to my head.
"Don't be so nervous," Gabe tells me in the elevator. His hands rub against my arms soothingly.
We arrive the war room and we're the only ones here apart from Cooper. The only reason I can tell that is the light that's burning bright against the darkness of the rest of the building.
This is the only reason I don't like being in the FBI: it's a workaholic male dominated profession and they're not likely to be as sympathetic towards situations like this. The fact that he's the Assistant Director of Counter Terrorism doesn't help, either. He's got a ginormous amount of responsibility and counts on his people. The people above him expect results and it's Cooper's job to make sure we deliver.
But it's my job to deliver this baby that's starting to incubate in my womb.
If this doesn't go the way I want, I might have to resign and that would mean that the whole task force would be decommissioned and Reddington would be thrown into a deep dark hole someplace and would never see the sun again. As much as I might not like the man, I don't want that for him.
Gabe breaks off his path with me and goes towards the office that we share. I walk up the stairs that leads to Cooper's office. I knock before I enter.
"Keen?" he asks as I walk into his office. "Here a bit early, aren't you?" he asks me.
"Yes, sir," I reply. My voice is a bit stronger than I though it'd be. "I'm just going to come out and say it: I'm pregnant."
It takes Cooper a second to respond and I don't particularly like the expression he's got on his face. I don't like it at all.
"Well, this certainly complicates things," he tells me.
"With all due respect, sir, why do you think that? The only reason I'm here is to speak to Reddington; we both know that. I can still meet him and from here, I can still perform my Profiling duties. That's what I'm meant to do. I'm not supposed to be a field agent."
"We'll talk more about this later," Cooper tells me.
"Yes, sir," I say before I exit the room.
I take a deep breath before I descend down the stairs of Cooper's office. Gabe is down there waiting for me.
"I take it that it didn't go so well," he comments dryly.
"He said 'we'll talk about it later,' so the subject is apparently not closed."
"Well at least that's something."
"I used your argument against him so he'll probably come around," I say.
"My argument?" he asks.
"Yes, you're whole 'you're only here to speak to Reddington' spiel," I reply, trying and failing miserably to sound like my husband.
Gabe just laughs as he pulls me close. "Ah, that argument."
My phone ringing dampens the mood as I look and see that it's Nick's Pizza sending me a text.
"I've gotta go," I tell him.
"Remember Liz, he has no say in your life. Don't let him stampede over you."
"I won't," I say before I leave.
I meet Red at what appears to be some sort of empty lecture hall.
"There's nothing more profound or of everlasting consequence than the decision to have a child. The exploitation and perversion of that decision is the stock and trade of a truly evil Organization: The Cyprus Adoption Agency."
He knows. He already knows. "You son of a bitch. You son of a bitch. You know. Of course you know. My life is my life and you have no say in it. You have no say in it what—so—ever. You have no right to meddle, to tell me what to do! It's me that's been living this life, not you. Ever since I was four years old, my life has been a royal screw up. And now that I'm happy and finally where I want and need to be, you want to take that away from me because of this Russian? No. I won't let you." I move to get up and before I can make it out of the aisle, Reddington's hand comes up to stop me.
"This case involves children, Lizzie. Something you might be sympathetic towards —"
"What's the matter, Red? Feeling —" I begin to ask him if this is bringing back feelings for him about leaving his own family. He's not one to be talking about caring for children.
"This isn't about me, Lizzie. This is about children who are ripped from their mother's arms and sold to new families."
Hmm. Now he might have my interest. The Profiling part of me flicks itself on and gets to work. My brain is revved up, ready to go. "If there were child abductions, the police would have been called. Unless the women couldn't —" I just look to Red. "They're not abducting these babies…they're farming them. I'm assuming they have a forger?" I ask.
"One of the best. Well, I'm biased. He's my best. The Cyprus Adoption Agency offers a promise. Something very special: perfection. Their clients are ordering from an unlimited genetic menu of the characteristics of the child they want to bring home."
"So what's in the file?" I ask him.
"The next child about to be sold."
I open it up to find the beautiful picture of a baby boy with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.
"And you don't know who he is?"
"No, but he's about to become the child of David and Wendy Rowland."
"Red, about this, about me — it doesn't have to affect our situation. I'll still talk to you. I can still do my job. I just won't be out in the field as much."
"It's not 'our situation' that worries me. It's timing."
I know he won't tell me what really bothers him so I don't even ask him. "I just wanted you to know that."
I get up to leave but when I reach the door, Red's voice comes from where he's sitting.
"Lizzie? As much as this complicates things, I am happy for you."
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience," I tell him before I stand up.
He and I don't really speak much more on the subject or about any subject for the rest of the case.
Madeline Pratt:
I meet Red at his newest Safe House, some gaping mansion.
"Lizzie," he greets me in surprise. "Lizzie, I'm sorry about our last case and the impressions you took from it."
I just scoff. "You're only concerned about the fact that I said that you think of a child as an inconvenience. But tell me, Red, when is there a convenient time to have a child? I was in Turkey when I found out I was pregnant the first time. Scared the hell out of me. Here I was this woman who never knew her parents suddenly going to become one. Here I am again... pregnant. In the midst of what obviously is going to be a war."
"I'm sorry for your suffering."
i dont think that that he consciously meant for my life to take this route, but he's the reason it has.
Red then gets on the topic of relationships and Madeline Pratt. Oh, Madeline. She would so be Red's type.
She's a fellow thief.
Red makes my history with that particular gig known at the briefing.
"What's he talking about?" Ressler and Cooper ask me once Red is done.
"You don't want to know," I reply.
"If we didn't, we wouldn't ask you," Ressler says.
I concede to tell them. It's bound to come out sooner or later. "Fine. You really want to know? When I was younger, I did some things that were slightly in the grey area."
"Just how grey are we talking about, Keen?" Cooper asks me.
"Elise Hartford, grey."
"You're telling me that you are Elise Hartford. The fugitive thief wanted by Interpol?" Ressler asks in surprise.
"Yes, sir. That's what I'm telling you."
"Why is that not on your background? How did you escape notice?"
"I was good at what I did and the person that was supposed to arrest me, married me."
"Gabriel —"
"Yes. Gabriel Keen was a rookie agent at the time and was tasked with assignment to find me and use me to bring down a herd of terroristic bank robbers. Elise Hartford disappeared did she not? Rumors flew about regarding her retirement, did they not?"
Ressler and Cooper just look at each other.
Red uses me to get in with Maddie. I'm going to be working this with him. Just like any other case. When I get out of the car, a wave of nausea hits me.
"You okay?" Red asks me.
"Fine."
"You don't have to do this, Lizzie. Not if you are unwell."
"I'm pregnant. Not sick."
"The job. It's yours."
"I don't want it. Call someone who does," I tell her as I head for the door.
Getting Maddie to give me the job was too simple. I just had to palm her phone and like a person buying a car, act uninterested.
"What if I paid you double?"
If I'm going to do this, I might as well get paid for it.
Red and I walk out of the house.
"All right. Spit it out. What'd you do to her?" I question as soon as we are out of her ear's reach.
"What makes you say that I did something?" Red asks without looking at me.
"Because she seems hell-bent on revenge. Her giving me that job was too simple. You stood her up, didn't you?"
"I don't see how that's relevant. And your reputation as Elise is something to take into account," Red says.
"Oh, you so did," I say. "Starting to regret walking around with a Profiler aren't you?" I ask rhetorically as I get into the car and leave.
Time to go to work. Get the Syrian's badge. Get Aram to skim it.
Next thing I know, It's time for the party to get started.
I'm waiting downstairs in the house Red is current hosting. I'm in would be nothing Liz Keen would wear and everything that Elise Hartford would wear. Despite the past it digs up, being her has its moments. The wardrobe is one of them.
Since I'm in cahoots with Red Reddington, I figured Red is the safest bet. I'm wearing one sleeved red dress that is form-fitting and sequined. I kept my eye makeup simple, just a thin line of black eyeliner with a slight cat eye and some false eyelashes. The hair was also something I kept simple. Just wavy. Red lips are a must and a slight dusting of blush on my cheeks finished the look.
Red's voice gets closer. I look up into the mirror and he has a look of shock on his face. He looks proud. He kind of looks like a father sending his daughter to prom. I look to see him standing in the threshold in a tux.
"Wow!"
He catches himself after a moment.
"Nice clutch."
Uh-huh.
"You're going?" I ask him, gesturing the tux. "Is that a good idea?"
"Some of my best friends are Syrian."
"You keep saying that you don't have friends," I argue and it's the truth.
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
"I'm flattered, but Madeline just seems hell-bent on revenge. Whatever she has planned won't be too bad, I reckon."
"You don't seem too anxious about it," Reddington tells me with a smile. He can't take his eyes off of me and it's weird. It's like being stared down by a brick wall.
"Won't be the first time I know I'm walking into a trap," I say with a shrug. "You ready?"
We arrive at the gala. My arm is folded through Red's and together, we descend down the stairs.
"We have two minutes," I tell Red.
"Fret not. Let's have a little fun," he replies. He picks my hand up and asks, "Shall we?"
I'm a terrible dancer. Not because I can't dance, but because I like to lead. I'm too much of a control freak.
"Lizzie, this must be very difficult for you, but we both can't lead," Red tells me.
"The job is simple. I'm just a control freak. So you and Gabe? You knew that I was helping him and you what? Made him stay in my life?"
He doesn't look like he wants to answer the question at first, but since I'm not Profiling him or anything, he seems a bit more relaxed. "I didn't hire him, no. I just reached out to him when he was working with you."
"So I really have you to thank for no arrest record?" I ask him. "I kind of figured that."
"That and yourself. And Dr. Keen's feelings for you."
There is a small pause.
"Gabriel is a good man, Elizabeth."
I just laugh. "I know that or I wouldn't have married him."
Red just smiles as we just continue to waltz towards where I know we need to go.
"Remember who you are tonight."
"Don't worry about me."
Red just looks strangely at me. He looks like he can't help but to worry about me.