Liz fidgeted in her seat with impatience barely acknowledging the resplendent plate of food before her.

'so you're telling me she is a spy? A bit cliché isn't it,international espionage?'

'let me tell you another fascinating yet unrelated secret I didn't enclose in the file, she was a name on the list you gave me for our sometime acquaintance the alchemist'

'you mean the man you stole the clients from?'

Red simply raised his eyebrow at her brashness, she was the only one who would ever dare it and the only one Red adored for it. The way her head went down and to the side with a challenging look.

'Audrey Krichkow died in 1996 and was replaced by the rather continental version Audrey Bidwell, the all time American girl'

Liz caught the first surname and sounded it on her tongue trying to place it.

Red had to take a bite of his food to keep from watching the movements of her mouth.

'Krichkow…Middle Eastern?'

'one of America's greatest enemies Iraq of course'

'are you telling me they are now sending spies from Iraq?'

She sat back in surprise, and battled with what she wanted to say next.

'but we know that Iraq is one of America's major trading countries in arms and weapons shipment, everybody knows it, it is public knowledge'

She whispered this as if she were committing mutiny by even verbalising it.

'ah now Lizzie you see you have hit on the reason of why they are doing this,its all about business not inside information and nothing to do with poilitics at all really'

'what kind of business?'

'trade secrets, stock markets and profiteering as a businessman I find the whole idea ingenious'

Finding Lizzie's interest waning Red moved onto the main point of the story.

'so back to Miss Anna here, there is the question of that face of hers, how to erase that middle eastern look, a little rounding of the eyes and elongation of the jaw'

Red caught Lizzie wince as he allowed himself to admire the touch of rose to her cheek and the dip of her chin.

'reconstructive surgery?'

'you remember our good friend don't you?'

'you mean the butcher with a knife?'

'oh come now Lizzie I can attest to his work being of top rate quality'

She wondered how many surgeries he had done, if any at all he seemed to be naturally ageing as far as she could see but then again she would never fully know him.

'well given a little cajoling my friend let me in on a few secrets'

With this playful tinkling in his tone, Liz almost felt sorry for the Doctor given how Red 'cajoled' people into giving information.

'so she had surgery and had the alchemist fake her death? '

Red nodded at her summary while taking another bite of his food and a sip of wine.

'but at some stage she must have had to give blood, vaccinations records or medical tests?'

'oh Lizzie how naiive, when the alchemist makes people disappear their new identity encompasses everything she would have had a complete history, Audrey Bidwell would have went to a lovely little suburban playschool all the way up to high school'

'I almost feel sorry for Ressler'

'for what he did to you Lizzie he's lucky he didn't get a personal house call'

'you wouldn't have…I mean you wouldn't do anything that stupid would you?'

Red fell silent as he retreated back into his shell of bedrock, his emotional outburst surprised even him.

'he is a well connected, honoured field agent if anything were to-

'oh calm yourself Lizzie I wouldn't do anything to the lapdog every agency needs a patsy I suppose?'

Liz's eyebrows set in an affront.

'I don't mean to offend you Lizzie since you are the exception'

He fixed her with a gaze which would have made even the strongest personality to shift uncomfortably. She recalled only ever looking at one person that way before: Tom and she wondered if it was the same reason he was looking at her now.

'he was engaged to her for 2 years, he was only talking about her last week his conflict over her new impeding marriage and his feelings he still clearly holds for her'

'in this case Lizzie I would suggest you put emotions aside,your superiors certainly did when they threw you to the wolves with the lapdog wagging his tail'

'I was a security risk, I would have done the same thing,they have to trust me under severe interrogation and I aided and abetted a wanted criminal'

'I accept your forgiveness by the way Lizzie Im glad to see a bit of life back in your cheeks'

'I told you I was allergic to tomato soup'

She smiled and it automatically infected Red, he nearly misplaced his wine glass on the table when saw her smile. He wished at these moments he could take a picture or some sort of momento of the times when she was truly relaxed and completely herself.

'they will say he was never aware of her activities, which, with respect, is true'

'they cant take that risk Lizzie they had no prrof on you but still the y found you guilty as charged'

As he swirled the last remnants of wine around the glass he added

'you see in the most intimate of moments we all talk about our work and if agent Ressler only told her the code to his locker they will nail him to the wall for it'

'within their own intimate setting Red began slowly tracing circles on Lizzie's upturned hand where her scar lay. Instead of pulling away she simply closed her eyes and let out a long cleansing breath.

'now Lizzie eat your fois gras it truly is wonderful'

He grinned at the epiphany that was Lizzie breaking down her barriers.

'