The Blacklister's Secret

12: The Confession

Emma jumps as her phone rings for the seemingly hundredth time that day.

Aram glances up at her as She glances at the screen.

"You should probably answer that." Aram says, and Emma sighs as she complies.

"Segreto." She bites.

"Emma. Anslo Garrick, why did he know you?"

"Dad." Emma says softly.

Aram looks up from his computer, his eyes wide.

"Are you ok?" She asks, stepping into the server room and shutting the door behind her.

"You're avoiding the question." He answers.

"So are you. Look, if anyone hears me talking to you-"

"You're smarter than that, Emma. Now, why did Anslo Garrick know you. What was he talking about while we were in that box."

"He was talking about the past." Emma makes eye contact with Aram through the glass pane in the door. "Look, now isnt the best time to unpack all of that, and I have work to do."

"How do you know Anslo? I'm not going to ask again."

Emma freezes. "You think I'm the mole?" She asks softly.

"I'm asking you how you know Anslo Garrick, how you interpret my reasoning is up to you." Her father answers.

"Dad, I would never- I mean, I.... I..." Emma begins to breathe heavily. She grabs onto the shelf next to her to try and keep her balance. "You really cant think I'm the mole, Dad."

"You haven't answered my question. I'll determine what your answer means." Raymond answers.

"And you still haven't answered mine!" Emma says, crying. "Are you ok?"

"How do you know Anslo Garrick, Emmaline, you have ten seconds."

"Dad I-"

"Ten." Raymond says.

Emma's mouth goes dry.

"Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six."

"Five."

"Four."

"Three."

"He kidnapped me." Emma finally says, her voice soft.

"What?" Raymond asks.

"I was twelve. They found me, and two of his men took me. They tortured me for nine days."

"Emma-"

"They were looking for you. They wanted to try and use me as bait. But they were clumsy, when Garrick left I managed to escape." Emma says, sinking into a heap on the floor.

"Emma..." Raymond trails off, his voice much kinder. She's reminded of the first time she met him.

"You dont know what I've done." Emma tells him. "Everything I've had to do, because you're my father. And I did it all because I loved you. I wanted nothing more than that in return, because no one else would be capable of loving such a broken thing."

"You're not broken, Emma." He answers.

"How would you know?" Emma asks scathingly.

She sighs, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Now I have to go."

She hangs up and the phone falls fron her hand. Emma closes her eyes and sobs, curled up into a ball on the tech room floor.

She jumps as someone lays a hand on her back. It's Aram, who just sinks into the spot next to her and offers her her takeout.

"Thanks." Emma sniffles.

They eat in silence, Emma still silently crying.

"You ok?" Aram asks.

"No." Emma answers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks.

"No." She shakes her head limply.

"Ok." Aram nods. He reaches over and lays a hand on her knee, and she sighs.

They sit there in silence for a while longer.

"I'm going to have to go back out there. Someone's head will probably explode if I don't." Aram says, pushing himself up off the floor. "But you can hang out in here. Take as long as you need, I'll come in when it's time to go home, ok?" He asks, smiling.

"Ok." Emma answers.

He leaves, quietly shutting the door behind him.
.

.
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She sits in the server room, in the dark, the only light coming from the buttons of the machines all around her, and the only sound their mechanical whirring.

Until a small knock comes from the door.

"Knock knock." Donald Ressler says, poking his head in. "Cooper wants you in his office."

Emma just stares at the man, who's leaning heavily upon his cane.

"You ok?" He asks.

"No." Emma answers weakly.

"Are you feeling ok?" He asks, "Keen! Keen!"

"I'm fine. Donald, I just, I just-"

Keen squeezes past Donald and into the server room.

"Hey, you ok?" She asks softly.

Emma just shakes her head.

Liz motions for Don to go.

He shakes his head.

Liz gestures more, making exaggerated facial expressions and motioning to the girl behind her.

He shakes his head and shuts the door.

"What's wrong?" Keen asks, posting up across from Emma. "C'mon, you can tell me." She says, lightly tapping Emma's foot with her own.

Emma just shakes her head.

"Is this about the boob thing?" Liz asks, searching for Emma's eyes.

Emma shakes her head.

"This is totally about the boob thing!" Liz insists. "Look, I already told you, the Amazon's used to cut off one their boobs so they could use their bows better, you're like, Queen of the Amazon's now."

"Alright, come on. What gives?" Liz asks.

"Is it Reddington?" She asks, and Emma bursts into tears.

Elizabeth Keen doesn't know what to do.

She watches as the woman sobs, curling into her knees.

"Emma?" Aram asks, almost bursting into the room.

Liz gives him a look.

"Hey." He says lowly. "Hey, it's time to go home. Hm? Let's go." He says, helping her off the floor. He gives a sharp look to Elizabeth, who just shrugs.