Hey there:)

Just stopping by to leave the new chapter.

Not too long but I really hope it is ok!

Let me know;)

Disclaimer: See describtion and Prologue

Chapter 1

"What do you mean she is with him?" Red, pale and terrified looking, spat at Kate. She shrugged her shoulders as if what she was enclosing to him was nothing more than a minor incident that he didn't need to be notified of.

"I helped her fake her death."

The silence following this sentence was as thick as a butter cake. Red's jaw had opened and was hanging uselessly down, waiting for the information to process in his brain and find words it could form. Instead, Red shook his head in disbelief, staring at the woman in front of him, which he had fancied to be his family. The betrayal was indescribable. It gripped his heart and squeezed until Red had the feeling of it bursting into pieces. When the boom of the explosion echoed in his mind, he finally got his mouth to work.

"Where are they, Kate."

Kaplan knew she could try to lie or deny him the truth as he had done for years with Elizabeth, but what good would it do? She wasn't afraid to die. She sometimes felt as if she already was a ghost, a phantom walking the earth in midst of clueless humans. So, what should she do? The men before her was heartbroken. A shadow of himself because of their plan. She hadn't known why Tom had approached her, he surely could have found someone else to go through with the plan. Seeing him cry and explain to her how much Liz was suffering, made the decision easier. Maybe she was too fond of the girl she had watched from afar with Raymond for years, but she couldn't say no.

"Cuba." She whispered, still staring back at Red.

He was about to turn around, when she suddenly called his name. When he finally turned to her, she looked at him questioningly.

"Don't you want to know why?"

He seemed to think for a moment, but then shook his head and stalked briskly out of the room, followed by a frowning Dembe.

Kate Kaplan sighed deeply, wrenching her hands and lowering her head. This was a true mess and she had no idea how they would get out of it.

Reaching the car, Red yanked the door open and slid in into the black car, leaning his head back until Dembe followed him inside.

"Did you know about this?" Red asked coolly.

"No." was the clear answer and Red believed it without questioning. Nodding to himself, he started to form a plan. Kirk was still after Lizzie and Agnes and no matter what, Red wouldn't let him win.

"Get Roger on the phone and tell him to have the jet ready in an hour."

Meanwhile in a house far away….

Liz was aware that she was dreaming, but she didn't know how to wake up from this nightmare. She could see Tom's face hovering in front of her and speaking softly but determined to her. His eyes didn't look honest at all, but it might be just a trick of her mind, right?

"I overheard a conversation between red and Dembe."

"Yeah? What were they talking about? Jelly donuts or Caviar?" Liz had laughed, stroking her swollen belly. "I bet it was something about either food or traveling."

"Actually, they were talking about you." Toms' voice had become huskier, as if he was telling her a secret. "I don't know how to say this honey, but it wasn't good."

"it usually isn't." Liz had snorted. "What did I do this time? Have I been too noisy? Did I get pregnant and overthrown their plans?"

A pause and then he had gripped her hand and rubbed his thumb over his skin.

"Red was explaining the problems he would face now that you will have a baby. Liz, he doesn't plan on telling you anything about your past. He said you were not ready and that he wished that…."

"That what?" Liz had demanded, but the last word echoed in her head like a mantra. The rest of the sentence lost in her mind when her body jerked and she woke up, holding Agnes lying next to her in bed. She must have fallen asleep after making sure that the baby was calm enough to sleep for more than only a few minutes.

With her point finger she caressed a path down Agnes' face, but although the little sigh she let out was sweeter than apple strudel, Liz didn't feel like smiling. She loved her child, of course she did, and she would do anything to keep her safe, but she couldn't help herself but feel as if this was a complication that had forced her to make this decision. Being separated from her baby right after the birth hadn't helped either, she mused. Feeling disgusted with herself, Liz carefully carried Agnes to the crib and covered her with the soft blanket. For a few seconds she observed the babies deep breathing, before she turned away and walked to the still closed door. She needed to talk to Tom.

Airspace over Cuba…

She was alive. It was impossible. He'd seen her die. He'd held her hand and mourned her. Stood at her grave and imagine his heart lying six feet under.

Red, ashen face and blood shot eyes, sat in his comfortable leather seat and looked at a picture that had been taken only a few weeks before Liz had found out about her pregnancy.

They still had been on the run and although under a lot of stress, these days had seemed a lot easier than what had developed after her exoneration. He had fought for her freedom and he found berating himself for being angry with her for finally finding a way to free herself. No matter how dangerous or dumb this move had been. He understood her longing for a normal life but it was becoming clearer and clearer to him that it wasn't meant to be for her. Her parents hadn't been normal. Their deaths hadn't been normal and Liz' life hasn't been normal. Ever. So why were they all, including Elizabeth, so stupid to believe that they actually could reach a point to give her that? Some people were cursed with a way their life's were supposed to go and fate wouldn't allow any meddling with that. She should have trusted him, Red thought bitterly, snorting only a second later. Whom was he kidding really? Trusting the Concierge of Crime was an impossible thing to do for someone as independent as Lizzie.

Red tapped his fingers against the edge of the photo. So why, for Pete's sake, was she trusting and depending on him.

tbc...

There ya go. Please drop a quick comment if you like:)