Many thanks to Mascaret for all your support; I'm so glad I've found someone who loves Mr Kaplan as much as I do xx

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Chapter 3

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Red was far from happy when Elizabeth brought in her team to help find Kate, Kate herself would be even less enthused to find out that FBI were walking all over her apartment, looking at all her personal affects. Elizabeth looked over to Red who had his eyes firmly fixed on Samar who was searching Kate's bedside cabinet.

"Is that really necessary Agent Navabi?"

Samar looked over to see how worried Red looked as she and some other Agents searched her bedroom.

"You want us to find her, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then allow us to do our job, there could be something she's been hiding. Something she might not want you to know about, something that may have put you in danger."

"If there was something bothering Mr Kaplan, she would have told me, we have no secrets."

"Maybe not with each other." Elizabeth added.

Red turned as Elizabeth came to stand beside him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"To still haven't told me why you don't have a key to Mr Kaplan's apartment."

"Will you let that go Lizzie, please?"

"There's a reason, something you're both hiding. I know you said it didn't but what if whatever happened between you both how ever long ago is connected to what's happening now. Whoever has Mr Kaplan, it could be someone you know, someone you both know."

Red turned to look at Elizabeth, anger in his eyes as he began to speak.

"Believe it or not Lizzie, there are something's in my life that are just as I said before…private. What took place between us is none of your business and I would appreciate it very much if you'd leave it at that, just find her…preferably alive." He said quietly as he left the room.

Elizabeth turned back as he walked away, making her way over to Samar.

"Make sure you take fingerprints, there was blood found in the front room that I've sent off to be analysed.

"Do you think it is connected to Reddington?"

"I'd bet money on it, he's hiding something, so is Dembe?"

"You think he'll tell you?"

"Maybe if I keep pushing him, he knows enough about me. I think it's time I knew more about him…and Mr Kaplan."

…

Kate heard the door opening as she lay on her side on the cold floor, she didn't have the energy to open her eyes, in that moment she honestly couldn't care if her kidnapper killed her, the pain in her head was becoming too much to bare.

"Wake up?"

Kate heard the young woman's voice but didn't open her eyes. The young woman knelt down beside Kate, spotting the patch on the floor where Kate had been sick. Panic began to set in, gently turning Kate over.

"Open your eyes Mr Kaplan…shit, please…open your eyes."

Kate could hear the concern in her voice as she tried to slowly open her eyes.

"I'm cold dearie…I…"

"You've been sick."

"My head…"

Kate tried to sit up with the young woman's help, nausea coming over her as she quickly turned away from her to throw up. Kate felt the woman run a warm hand up and down her back as Kate emptied what little was in her stomach.

"Come on, get up."

"Where are we going?"

There was no answer as the woman put her arm around Kate's waist and helped her to her feet, Kate wavering from lack of food, feeling dizzy from the knock to her head as she fell in to the young woman who kept her steady.

"I'm sorry I have to do this but…it's necessary."

Before Kate could ask, her eyes were suddenly covered with a blindfold as she was escorted from the room. She held on to the woman as she counted at least ten steps up to wherever they were going, Kate heard another door opening and heat finally hitting her. She heard what she thought was a bird chirping as they walked down a hallway, at least ten to fifteen paces from where they'd been before Kate heard another door opening and Kate was led inside. She was guided over another four paces before the young woman eased her down on to what was clearly a bed before the woman removed the blindfold. Kate blinked a few times before looking around the room, cream walls with one red as the main feature wall behind the bed. Dark wood furniture, there was no photographs around Kate noted before she looked up at the other woman.

"Who are dearie, take that thing off."

"I have to go?"

Kate's kidnapper got ready to walk away before Kate took tight hold of her hand.

"You're obviously not as bad as you seem, you brought me up here after all."

"You were sick; the basement is the last place you should be."

"Thank you."

"I'll get you some stronger painkillers when I'm out, do you need anything else."

"I wouldn't mind a shower and some fresh clothes."

"When I come back."

"Thank you dearie….wait."

"What."

"Please, let me see your face. Who am I going to tell?"

"The police?"

"You don't know me dearie, I don't exactly have the best relationship with the police."

"Because of him?"

"Who?"

"Reddington."

"You know Raymond?"

"Not really, but I've certainly found out a lot about him…and you."

"Did we hurt you, is that what all of this is about? Did we…"

"You have no idea, but you will…trust me, you will."

Kate's eyes closed tightly as the young woman took back her hand before leaving, locking the door behind her.

…

Elizabeth searched Kate's apartment before eventually going over to Dembe who was looking down at the broken carousel.

"Dembe?"

"I need to get this repaired…for Kate."

"After…they need to take fingerprints and things from it first, when they're done, I'll give it back to you."

"Thank you."

"Where's Red?"

"He left."

"What…where."

"There's a small bistro at the end of the road, he and Kate used too go there at the end of the day."

"Thanks, I won't be long."

Elizabeth left, making her way down the street, coming to a stop outside the bistro. She found the door locked but could clearly see Red sitting at one of the tables, she knocked a dew times, Red looking up and over to her. She saw him speak to the older gentlemen behind the bar who eventually made his way over to the door, unlocking it and allowing her inside.

"Thanks."

Elizabeth made her way over to Red, taking a seat across from him as he drank what she assumed was whiskey.

"Mr Kaplan's missing and you're sat here drinking, very productive."

"Lizzie…"

"You really think drowning your sorrows is going to help fine Mr Kaplan."

"It's one drink, I just needed to get away from all the chaos at Kate's."

"How did you get in here, it's not open yet?"

"Marco is a good friend of myself and Kate's."

"Dembe said you were here."

"Kate and I would come here some evenings, just to talk, catch up."

"Look I…"

"Kate and I have always been close Lizzie, after she lost Annie she was…she was broken, she didn't know what to do with her life. I offered her a place with me and I suppose the rest is history. It took Kate a very long time to get over Annie's death, she really loved her. There were nights I'd find her alone in a room, crying her heart out over her. She never really trusted anyone after she lost her; she focused herself on work, with me."

"Killing people?"

"She knew what she was getting involved with when I offered her this job, over the years we became close. I trust Kate with everything, every secret, ever scar we have. We've been there for each other through so much, about twenty five years ago Kate and I, I had gone to retrieve some money that had been taken from me by an associate and he turned on me, he shot me…it was the first time Kate had seen something happen to me and I think it scared her. She's already lost Annie and she was terrified that she was going to lose me too. Kate had her team of doctors on call when it happened and they took very good care of me, got me well again. For two weeks Kate never left my bedside, she wouldn't let me out of her sight for the fear of something else happening to me."

"You're her family I guess."

"We are, our evenings spent here were the beginning. It took her months to give me space but I knew why and I was happy to do as she wanted until then, one evening we were here and it was the anniversary of Annie's death, she was acting differently all day, I'd forgotten what day it was, I'd been busy with a deal. I just thought she was tired and I hadn't given it a second thought. We were in here drinking, Kate had arrived earlier than me, she was already a little drunk, halfway through the night she spoke about Annie and it finally clicked with me about the date. The moment I looked at her she just…fell apart. Kate doesn't allow many people to see her vulnerable side, I suppose in a way, I'm honoured that she feels comfortable enough with me that she can open up more.

"She must have really loved her."

"She cried for what seemed like hours before I finally calmed her down, I took her home, tried to get her to sleep but she just wanted to sit with me, which I was more than happy to do."

"Did something happen, this reason you no longer have a key to her place?"

"I'm not sure Kate would want her private life talked about Lizzie."

"It's me; you know I wouldn't tell anyone else."

"Kate was a beautiful woman back in the day; she still is in my eyes."

"You slept with her?"

"It was a mistake, she was hurting, grieving and at the time comfort was what she wanted, needed."

"I don't understand though, why would she take a key away from you just because you…"

"It's not because we slept together Lizzie, it's because of happened after that."

"Which is?"

"You have to remember Kate was older than me, she was in her forties and back in those days it was…different."

"What are you saying?"

Red looked up from his whiskey, sadness in his eyes as Elizabeth watched him. "Kate got pregnant after our night together, she was…confused, scared. Our work is dangerous and it wasn't an easy decision to make."

"You made her have a termination?"

"No…but I knew we couldn't let a child grow up in this life. We made the decision that it was better for the child that we give it up for adoption when it was born."

"You made her give up her child."

"You know what our life is like Lizzie, to raise a child in it wouldn't have been fair."

"That wasn't you choice, you forced her to give up her child. That's why she took away your key."

"She never really forgave me for what happened, over the years she learned to accept it but, she'll never forgive me for it."

"Was it a boy or girl?"

"It doesn't matter, I let Kate spend some time with the baby before they took it away, it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Do you know what happened to the baby, where it ended up?"

"No."

"Does Mr Kaplan?"

"I doubt it, she never said. She wouldn't know."

"You made her give up the only child she would ever have, I don't even blame her for taking the damn key away. Her baby, jesus Red. You said you loved her, if you really loved her, you wouldn't have done that, you'd have stood by her, helped her raise you child. If the baby meant anything to you, you'd have given this kind of life up."

Elizabeth got up from her seat, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to Mr Kaplan's, we need to find her. Did it ever occur to you that maybe your son or daughter may have come looking for their birth parents."

"No I…"

"Forget it, you just better pray nothing happens to her, otherwise it will be her blood on your hands, hers and Molly's."

…

To Be Continued…