They say that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. Jacob was certain that if there actually was a God, he'd be in stitches right about now. He'd had so many plans in the last year that had completely gone up in smoke. His plan to become a father? Done. His plan to keep the truth from Liz? Finished. His plan to break up the task force before Berlin ordered them all executed? Kaput. And now his last Hail Mary, his admittedly half-baked scheme to take out Berlin was no longer possible. Reddington had seen to that, once again ruining everything, forcing Jacob to retreat and re-strategize. Unfortunately it was kind of hard to think with his wife glaring at him like she wanted to kill him.

He had her secured to a chair in his safe house, which probably wasn't earning him any points, but at least meant he wouldn't have to worry about her attacking him, and being forced to defend himself. Last time he'd be lucky, and he'd managed to get the upper-hand before any serious damage was done, but it haunted him how easily that fight could have turned deadly. He'd never ever deliberately try to kill Liz, but accidents sometimes happened. Guns went off. People died.

Jacob had woken up five times this past week alone, shaking with the memory of the various nightmare scenarios he was fighting to prevent. It was always the same dream, a figure emerged from the darkness and shot Liz while Jacob stood frozen, unable to move. Sometimes the trigger-man was Berlin, sometimes it was Reddington, but the most horrifying was when it was Jacob himself.

Jacob silently cursed Reddington for the millionth time. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. He'd be so close to convincing Berlin that Liz wasn't important enough to Reddington to bother with. If the Concierge of Crime hadn't turned himself into the FBI and sucked her into the center of his world, then at this moment he and Liz would have been at home, knee deep in diapers and baby food. That bastard had wrecked everything, stolen the life Jacob had worked so hard to build.

The bodies Jacob had seen strewn on the sidewalk had announced that number 4 on the most wanted list had infiltrated the mobster's safe-house. He'd planned to bring Liz in, convince the middleman to set up the meet with their mutual boss, and then take him out. After that Jacob could have explained, given Liz proof that despite his lies, he was still her husband, and was still on her side. He could feel the cool metal of his wedding band against his chest, where he now wore it on a chain.

"So what's the plan, Tom? Going to put a bullet in my head?" Jacob winced at the bitter accusation. He knew it wasn't her fault that she believed he was capable of that. Reddington had been whispering in her ear for months and nothing he'd said or done recently contradicted the image she now had of him as the unfeeling monster who'd ruined her life.

"I told you before: I'm not here to hurt you." Yeah, Liz was definitely going to believe that, given that he'd just abducted her at gunpoint. Still what was he supposed to have done. Issuing her a polite invitation to join him would only have gotten him shot.

"You also said you were one of the good guys. I think what happened to Meera and Cooper proves that's a lie." Liz had a point. 'Good guy' was vastly overstating things. He wasn't good, not really, and he knew that. Still that didn't mean he was totally bad either. He was here, trying to protect her wasn't he?

"I didn't attack them." What happen to the members of Liz's team wasn't his fault. They had been agents, they knew what they were signing up for. He'd done what he'd had to do to maintain his cover and continue to protect Liz.

"No, you just turned over their names." The venom in Liz's voice made it perfectly clear that she held him responsible, whether or not he'd actually been the one wielding the knife. Jacob sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Why couldn't she understand that he'd had no choice? Besides he'd tried to protect the taskforce, leaving Liz breadcrumbs that if she'd followed would have dissolved the unit before Berlin had elected to take them out.

"I did everything I could to keep them out of harm's way. It's not my fault you didn't listen." He'd been so sure Liz would follow his instructions and retrieve the evidence from the safety deposit box. It hadn't been easy getting his hands on those photos, in fact he'd had to call in a favor with one of his old classmates from the Major's school.

"Excuse me?" Liz squinted at him, suspicion and confusion momentarily replacing rage on her beautiful features.

"The safety deposit box. I'm assuming you never checked it out like I told you to." Liz pressed her lips together, the anger returning in full force. Her silence told him everything he needed to know. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing she followed his instruction. "You did." It was almost enough to make him smile, until he considered the full implications of what he'd learned. All the trouble he'd gone to to warn her away from Reddington had been for nothing.

"What the hell are you still doing working with him?! He killed your father Liz. You know that, right? Or did he convince you it was all just a big coincidence that his visit to the hospital corresponded with Sam's death?" He couldn't believe Liz would be that gullible, but he didn't know how else to explain the fact the Liz was still stomaching Reddington's presence. Liz remained silent, refusing to look at Jacob. Her face was stony, colder than he'd ever seen it. He'd just resigned himself to not getting an answer when she turned and fixed him with a look that sent a chill through him.

"Unlike you, Reddington doesn't lie to me." Jacob snorted in disbelief.

"I seriously doubt that." Liz clearly didn't know the truth about him, if she thought he'd really planned to kill her. Jacob could only imagine the lies Reddington had spinning to get her to believe that.

"He never tells me everything, but what he does tell me is always the truth." That certainly gave Jacob pause. Liz seemed so sure of her words, it was enough to make him wonder if there was a chance they were accurate. If they were, then he might actually have a way out of this mess he'd found himself in.

Jacob walked over to where his go bag sat up against the wall. He unzipped it and dug around until he found a pen, a pad of paper, and a cell phone. He grabbed a chair with his free hand, and carried it over to where Liz sat. He dropped into the seat, uncapped the pen and started to write.

"I'll make you a deal, Liz. I'm going to write down three questions on this piece of paper. We call Reddington. You ask him these questions and he answers. After that I'll untie you and if you want to go you can go. Deal?" He ripped the paper in three equal pieces and then looked up at his wife. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion, but it was an improvement on the previous expression.

"How do I know you'll keep up your end?" A fair question, given his less than honest track record. Still, considering her circumstances, did she really have a better offer?

"What do you have to lose?" Jacob did his best impression of disinterested calm, but inside his mind was reeling. If she agreed to this and it actually worked he might actually get a chance to explain himself the way he'd wanted to since the night she'd learned the truth. He wasn't an idiot, he knew she wouldn't forgive him, but at least she'd know that what they'd had together hadn't all been a lie. He'd seen how much believing that had hurt her. If he could take some of that pain away, then this would be worth it, no matter how it turned out for him.

"Fine." Liz's sharp reply pulled Jacob out of his thoughts. He allowed himself a brief smile before picking up the phone and pulling up the contact list. Not long after Liz had started working for the task force he'd swiped her phone and programmed the numbers of her team into his burner. The one number that had stood out was Nick's Pizza, which he had never heard of. He assumed that was alias Liz had picked for Reddington. He'd made a habit of checking on the information on a regular basis, as the number changed every two week like clockwork. According to the schedule the number he had should still be good. The number rang twice before he heard the master criminal pick up.

"Hello Reddington." There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the line before Reddington spoke in softly dangerous tones.

"Where's Elizabeth?" The mobster must have talked if Reddington knew he'd been sent after Liz.

"She's right here, she's fine. I'm putting you on speaker." Jacob hit the button and waited for Concierge of Crime to speak. He had to admit he was curious. He'd heard a one-sided conversation between Liz and Reddington before, but it hadn't been enough to give him a good sense of their relationship.

"Lizzie, are you alright?" Jacob's blinked, somewhat surprised Liz allowed Reddington to use the nickname that only Sam, as her father, and he, as her husband had been permitted. The concern in his voice was also interesting. Jacob would go so far as to say it seemed genuine.

"I'm fine. I need to ask you some questions. Tom says if you answer, he'll let me go." Silence from the other end of the line and then the voice that had held warm concern of Liz became cold and suspicious.

"What are you up to Tom?" The tone suggested that Reddington had a pretty good inkling where this was headed and he did not like it.

"You're a sharp guy, Reddington. I'm sure you've worked it out by now. Alright Liz, first question." Jacob slowly raised the piece of paper up so Liz could see it. He waited while she read the words, watching the expression on her face become more and more incredulous.

"I don't understand. Why-" Jacob cut her off, firmly, but gently.

"Just ask him." Liz swallowed, and then slowly recited the words on the paper.

"Who hired Tom to enter my life?" Liz's stared at the phone, as though she could see the man on the other end. There was silence and then Reddington voice broke through, detached and businesslike.

"Tom, I'd like a private conversation." Whether he meant with Jacob, or with Liz, Jacob didn't care. He wasn't going to be dissuaded, and Reddington wasn't going to be allowed to weave his web of lies without Jacob there to contradict him.

"And I'd like to be home right, stretched out on the couch with my wife. I guess we don't always get what we want. Answer her." Reddington had gone through considerable time and expense to expose Jacob's lies. Jacob was only too willing to return the favor.

"I did." Whatever thrill of satisfaction Jacob had anticipated at exposing Reddington died in his chest when he saw the fresh look of pain and betrayal in Liz's eyes. Looking at her hurt, Jacob could barely register Reddington's hurried attempts at justification. He hit the mute button.

"Liz? Are you okay?" Liz looked up at him sharply, opened her mouth, and then closed it, as though thinking better of what she had planned to say. When she opened her mouth again her voice was measured, controlled.

"Let's get this over with." Jacob nodded, unmuted the phone and held up the next question.

"What was his assignment?" Reddington stopped mid-sentence at Liz's words. Undoubtedly this had been one of the things he had already gone over while Liz had been collecting herself.

"To protect you from a distance, as a friend of friend." Once again Liz looked up at him in confusion, no doubt trying to understand why he was putting her through this. Jacob held up his last question in response.

"Why was he fired?" Jacob himself was interested in hearing the rationale behind this one. Reddington only discovered Jacob's intimacy with Liz because of Berlin's attempt on her life. Jacob had saved her, which should have all the proof Reddington needed that he was performing his primary function. He'd hoped to convince Reddington that he could protect her better as her boyfriend then he could as an acquaintance. He hadn't been successful.

"Because he betrayed my trust. He violated the terms of his contract." Oh no, Reddington wasn't weaseling out of this one. He was going to admit to Liz that he had known this entire time how Jacob felt about her, and had chosen not to share.

"How?" Would Reddington answer, even though it was technically he and not Liz who had asked?

"You became...emotionally and physically involved." Jacob had to hand it to Liz. She had been right. Reddington hadn't lied, although Jacob was sure he'd wanted to.

"Thank you Reddington, that's all we need for now." Jacob hung up, and chance a look at Liz. She seemed to be looking at everywhere, but him. There was such turmoil on her features that for once he had no idea what she was thinking.

Would it be enough? Would she stay? It didn't matter one way or the other. He had to keep his word. He pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and moved behind Liz's chair. He had her freed in less than ten second, then waited, seeing what she'd do. When after a minute it became clear he had no intention of leaving her chair, he returned to his.

"Why did you do that?" She still wasn't looking at him, instead chosen to focus her gaze on her wrists, rubbing them where the zip ties had left red impressions.

"We had a deal. I just honored it." Liz shook her head and finally looked up at him.

"No, I meant why did you make him tell me those things?" There were so many ways to answer that question. Because he loved her. Because she deserved the truth. Because he couldn't live another day with her thinking of their life together as a total fraud. He settled on the most practical answer, the one she be most able accept.

"Because I need you to believe me when I tell you, that despite appearances, despite what I said to you in the dining room...I am on your side. I have always been on your side. I want to help you stop Berlin."