6.

Raymond Reddington was a man that could be comfortable most anywhere. They had been all over Europe in the last few months, but that had been by way of South America. He had shown Lizzy some of the most beautiful wonders of the world, but she hadn't seemed to notice there was even a world around her. He had tried so hard, worked so desperately, to keep that pain from her. She was strong, but even the strongest people have breaking points. The gun going off, the memories flooding back in, having her life stripped from her... Elizabeth Keen had shattered and even Reddington had been having trouble collecting the pieces.

She would sit and stare for hours, wake from terrible nightmares, and cling like a child. He held onto her, feeling more helpless in the situation than a man as powerful as he was should have. She would cry and then she would go quiet, eventually falling back asleep. It had been a never ending spiral that he had been so certain would only last a few weeks. She would fight. Lizzy always fought.

Until she didn't.

It was like the fight had been pulled from her. With each move they made in hiding he saw her grow a little quieter, a little more withdrawn. Red had gathered information and done what he could from far away. There was plenty to do and he would be ready for when she came out of it. He had faith in Lizzy. She would come out of it.

Then Tom Keen had resurfaced and Liz had come out of at least one layer of fog. The young operative was infuriating, but there was no question that he did - for once - play a useful role in this round of the fight against the Cabal. Red would never admit it out loud, of course, but at least for a little while his former employee was useful again.

The meet with Bill McCready was taking longer than it should to set up - the stunt he had pulled last time to lure him out wouldn't work again - but Agent Navabi was certainly a sight for sore eyes. She turned and a slight tilt to her lips said more than she ever would about the situation at hand.

"We have Ressler," she greeted, immediately to business.

"I never had any doubt in Donald's loyalties," Reddington responded with a casual shrug. "Was Aram able to come up with the information he's been after?"

"In part. He said that the second half is a bit more complicated to retrieve undetected, but he was confident he'll have it before we make our move."

She held out a small jump drive and Reddington slipped it into his jacket pocket. "Have you noticed any new faces transferred in recently?"

Samar blinked. "Our security has been doubled and those faces are all new. We assumed that they are Cabal men."

"Possibly. Though it sounds as if the Director has reached out to Bill McCready for additional boots on the ground."

"The Major? He's preparing for a war."

"He can't plug the holes faster than the media can print it. He'll be after Elizabeth and I in force."

"Do you have something to counter it? Last time he sent in ground troops you nearly didn't make it out from what I hear."

Reddington grimaced. Lizzy had saved him that day, but in doing so she had sunk herself deeply into this mess. "I'm working on that. I have... proven intel on it. The name that was given as the operative set after Elizabeth is a Justin Masterson. Know him?"

"Rumours, though the fact that you received a name at all is impressive."

The former Navy officer frowned. "Tom came back into the picture."

Samar smirked. "For Liz."

"You don't have to sound so pleased. He's terrible for her."

The Persian woman shot him a meaningful look. "It's not the first time he's completely put himself aside for her. From what I hear he has quite the price on his head, but he went out of his way to warn her."

"He does have a price on his head, doesn't he?" Reddington murmured, his mind spinning into overdrive.

Samar tilted her head but didn't ask. "Ressler wanted to be here, but he's tied up with the investigation. They're watching us closely."

"You have Dembe's number. As soon as Donald breaks away give him a call. He or I will make time as soon as Agent Ressler is available, but not a moment sooner. I need him where he is."

"Understood," Samar answered. "Keep her safe."

"I have so far," he answered with a small nod and turned. Dembe knew what he was thinking. He could see it on the younger man's face.

"Raymond, she will never forgive you if he's killed in this."

"Don't be so dramatic, Dembe," Reddington chuckled. "Just because he said he was willing to die for her doesn't mean it'll need to come to that. Make the call. Set the meet. We'll see how badly Bill wants Tom Keen."

He had gotten the distinct impression that Mr Kaplan didn't like it trust him when they had met face to face in his warehouse a few months before. Nothing about the way the woman glared at him over her glasses upon their arrival did anything to change Jacob's mind.

"She just doesn't trust you," Liz said as she reached for a coffee cup on the top shelf of the little apartment they were holding up in. She was stretching as far as she could but couldn't quite reach it.

"A lot of people don't trust me," Jacob answered as he reached over and grabbed it for her. "Most of them don't have quite her skill set."

Liz laughed at him as she poured her coffee. "I thought we had a deal? I'll protect you from Red and any of his people, and you protect me from Bud's people." She set her mug down and turned towards him, her expression more serious now. "I won't let Red hurt you."

She sounded so sure of that and it reminded Jacob of all the times that Liz had promised to keep him safe from a world she thought he didn't understand. It brought a fond smile to his lips and he pulled her close. "I love you," he said and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I've missed you," she answered and wrapped her arms around his middle. "I should have gone with you."

"You did what you had to. If you'd come then, you'd have second guessed yourself the whole time."

Liz looked down and she had to have known he was right. "You know me really well, don't you?"

"Yep," he chuckled. "Pretty well. You still throw me every once and a while, but it keeps life interesting."

"More interesting than life on your boat?" she teased, finally releasing him to reach for her coffee. "So what did you do out there by yourself?"

"Tried to get to know myself a little," Jacob answered honestly. "I've worn so many masks that I guess I never really knew who Jacob had become until recently. Never cared."

"And now?"

"Well, you seemed to like him, so there's got to be something worthwhile, right?" he teased and she watched him with those beautiful blue eyes of hers that had always gotten him into trouble.

"I think he's pretty special," Liz said softly. Her eyes flickered behind him sharply just a moment before the kitchen door swung open and Reddington entered. Jacob bit back a frustrated sigh. This man ruined everything.

"Oh good. You were able to follow one instruction. You're getting better," Reddington cheered and Liz's fingers touched her ex husband's arm, her eyes pleading with him not to give to the bait. He wasn't sure why he was the one that had to keep his mouth shut and Reddington could run his all day long.

"Did you have your meeting?" Liz piped up, and Reddington's gaze fell on her.

"I did. Agent Navabi sends her regards."

"You went to the feds?" Jacob managed to not completely choke out.

"I was a fed," Liz said indignantly.

"And now they're hunting you down." Jacob turned back to Reddington.

"Agent Navabi has proven very trustworthy in a variety of situations. Unlike you," the Concierge of Crime said pointedly. "We need all the help we can get."

"Just not mine?" Jacob growled.

"You're here, aren't you?"

Liz's hand was in his then and he felt some of the anger sluff off. He turned and she was looking at him intently before turning back to Reddington. Her fingers remained clutching his hand. "Where do we stand?"

"At least someone is focused." Apparently Reddington couldn't resist one last jab before getting down to business. "Information was delivered via our dear Agent Navabi from Agent Mojtabai. I'll have Dembe take a look at it after he's done."

"What's he doing?" Liz asked curiously.

"Setting a meet with the Major. There's no reason to have him sending his thugs after you."

Reddington wasn't looking at Jacob when he spoke, but the younger man still resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You're going to have to have a hell of an offering to pull him away from this contract."

"What did I say about you staying away from the issue with Bill? You're unreliable when it comes to your emotions."

"Emotions have nothing to do with this. It's-"

Reddington choked on his own laugh. "Really? Did you think that lie was convincing? I am well aware of your past. Bill raised you. He may be able to separate himself from that, but that man is the closest thing to a father you've likely known. I have every doubt in your ability to pull the trigger should it come down to that."

Jacob stared at him, drawing a blank because all the lies that he might have spoken sounded false even in his mind. He couldn't say for certain that he'd pull the trigger on the man that raised him, no matter how easily Bud had been willing to put him down.

"So, if the last few days is any indication, you haven't been eating well since you left," Liz cut in, swiveling the subject around, "and there does seem to be a stocked kitchen if nothing else here."

Her ex husband chuckled, despite the tenseness of the previous subject. "Are you trying to get me to volunteer to cook?" he teased.

"Well I would offer..."

"But there's no reason to give us all food poisoning before we face off with the Cabal."

Liz stared at him with a half-smile, half-gaping look, almost as if she wasn't sure if she should be laughing or offended. "That was one time, you jerk," she grumbled through her laugh and smacked him on the shoulder.

"There's a reason for that," he chuckled and dodged the next mostly-playful punch before shifting around and pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. "Let's see what we have."

She beamed at him and suddenly Reddington was inconsequential. Liz was all that mattered. She was all that would ever matter.

Liz had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed Tom's cooking. He had found enough stored away to put together a fairly plain spaghetti recipe, and she had sat on the counter chattering with him as he cooked. He had missed it, he said, and while the actual process was what he was referring to, she wondered if he meant everything. Some of their favourite nights had been when she would come home in the middle of Tom cooking and they would just talk. It was light and comfortable, and for a few hours it felt the same.

They sat around the table as if none of them had tried to kill the others before. It was funny, when Liz thought about it. In a little apartment in New York City, around a table of spaghetti made by a former deep cover operative sat his ex wife - number five on the FBI's most wanted list - the so-called Concierge of Crime, his bodyguard, and a woman that made her living disposing of evidence. Red had, apparently, tried to kill Tom more than once, Tom had shot Red, and then a year later helped defend his life for Liz's sake. It was so twisted up and bizarre that all she could do was laugh.

Mr Kaplan disappeared to go handle business that evening, and Reddington showed Liz to the full bedroom while he was taking the little study with the pull out couch. She waited until Red was behind the closed door, discussing something with Dembe in hushed voices, before she peeked out into the main room, seeing Tom crunched up on a couch too small for him. She smiled, barely holding back the laugh, but he must have heard her because he cracked one eye open. She couldn't keep the amusement out of her voice as she spoke. "Red threaten you to sleep out here or something?"

He shrugged. "I figured if you wanted me in there you'd tell me."

Liz's smile faded just a little as she padded across the wooden floor and he uncurled enough to prop himself up on one elbow. He was being sweet and respectful. She reached out to him wordlessly and he took her hand, letting her pull him from the couch and following her back into the room, pausing only to grab his bag. His eyes were on her and she crawled into the bed, scooting to the side she had always slept on when they were together. He followed silently and Liz moved close. Between the train and the flight from Europe to New York, they'd dozed together, but they hadn't been able to curl up like they were now. Her bare feet touched his, legs tangling, and his arm wrapped around her. "I love you," she whispered into his t-shirt.

"Love you too," came the sleepy reply. He sounded more relaxed than she thought he might have been in some time. It reminded her of how easily he'd drifted to sleep in the bed with her on his boat, and she wondered if, somehow, she made him feel as safe as he made her feel.

One blue eye cracked open. "You okay?"

"Just thinking."

He smiled and inched down so that he could kiss her. She melted into it, one hand going to the side of his face and inching to the back of his neck. When they broke, she found herself lost in those eyes again. "We're both going to be okay."

"I know," he answered softly and she wrapped her arms around him, leaned against his chest. He wasn't the only one that could read between the lines. That was what he said when he was deflecting. She wouldn't be able to convince him until he was ready, though. All she could do was promise to protect him like he protected her. Together, they could get through this. They had something to fight for.

TBC

Notes: This has seriously been one of the most frustrating weeks... It's really just a bunch of little things that probably shouldn't be as frustrating as they are. I think this is definitely a sign that I need to go to the gym tonight and take it out on a bag of sand lol

Ahem. Excuse the brief rant. Things are about to start speeding up around here. Next time - Jacob's distrust of Reddington causes more trouble than he ever meant for it to.