She had become almost as accustomed to his presence as if he were the perfume she sprayed on her neck in the morning or the ashtray she kept as a remembrance of her father.

He sat large as life on her sofa legs crossed and arms splayed across the back. She couldn't help but smile at his brash openness in another persons home.

But she stopped herself to give him the full onslaught of his treachery.

'Hello Lizzie I imagine by the scathing look you're giving me, today didn't go so well?'

'Cut the crap Red, you know more about this than you are letting on?'

'I really don't-

'Are you after this software for yourself? Is she working for you?'

He stood from the sofa and began moving toward her speaking in the throaty voice of his she just imagined how it would sound in a cave as it echoed all around her.

'Oh Lizzie come now you know deep down -being the exception to the brain donors calling themselves agents- that I am the last person willing to bring about a collapse to this economy'

He began scanning around her living room as he added

'After all this economy has served me very well these last few years'

'Then how is it that you were situated so conveniently close to this hotel where this Audrey was supposed to steal this software information for some sort of Anti-spy ware?'

'I see all of Tom's things are gone, thank God, that African Tribe collection set was just awful'

Liz wasn't going to let him change the subject this time not when she was so tired and strung out after the day she had.

She went to grab his arm to gather his full attention in the heat of the moment she instantly regretted it from his icy cold glare like the one he held when he told her he would disappear if she just 'said the word' .

'I am getting really tired of you and your smug narcissism, I appreciate you getting me the info on this woman , but in just one day I have been accused, insubordinate to my superiors, and had to admit that an agent who made it his goal to get me fired is perhaps going to be useful in this case after all so I…

Her tongue suddenly failed when clarity finally hit her like a baseball bat, she could do this without him.

She couldn't keep letting this man be the only reason she was in the FBI and after all, she had nearly compromised it by helping him.

'I need you to leave me alone I don't care if you continue to work with the FBI or not but I have already lost enough because of you'

'Lizzie you don't mean' he caught her arm as she looked straight into his eyes without doubt, fear or otherwise and said with dead seriousness.

'You once told me everything in my life was a lie but before I began to unravel it I was happy..completely and utterly happy and ignorant and as they say, sometimes ignorance is bliss'

She saw the tears in his eyes but they didn't seem to affect her not now not after all this.

'Its time I started healing those open wounds with new bandages'

He let go of her arm and went to the door his head held low like a pendulum losing its spring.

There was nothing left to say and as he left she felt a weight lift from her shoulders much like when Tom had left, all she needed was her job and she would be damned if she was going to give up on it.

As if a sign from above her phone rang and she answered

'Agent Keen did you manage to speak to Reddington?'

'Yes Sir but he had no extra information to add than what's on the case file but If I may Sir I have a plan on how to trap Audrey, have you managed to speak to Agent Ressler yet?'

don't give up on me all is going to become clear in time and there will be Lizzington moments or a moment! J