There's Nothing I Would Not Do For You

Come What May

It's OFFICIAL: Reade is alive, rescued by 'Ice Cream' @ Raymond Reddington's request. Red enlists the best medical specialists from around the globe to treat Edgar's catastrophic injuries from Madeline Burke's Iceland ambush, and only a select group are even aware that he survived: the medical staff (obviously), Reddington and his organization, Ice Cream and his team, Tasha and now Rich.

Rich has concerns, and one of them is the most prevalent. He shoots glances in Zapata's direction until she finally says "What is it, Rich?" (Not crossly though).

"I'm a little concerned."

"What about, exactly?"

"YOU."

Tasha turned to face him. "What are you TALKING ABOUT, Rich?" (NOW maybe a touch crossly).

"Something's keeping you up at night. I've heard you pacing." Rich can see that she's clearly conflicted. About WHAT, although...?

"You're imagining things. Of course, I pace at night; I'm hiding in an abandoned bunker, pregnant...no pre-natal care, no vitamins - which a nameless someone " failed to secure"...Tasha snarked.

Rich tried to rally: "I can have the pre-nates in two hours"-

"NOPE! Don't call them that - NOPE!"

"OK, OK - COOL: but I get the feeling that there's something else. You confided in me about Reade, the baby...we're not besties exactly, though I'd call us close; I can maybe take some of the weight for you-maybe IF you decide to stop deflecting"-

"READE'S ALIVE, Rich."

"Ah....Hum...uh-I have no witty come-back for that. I am truly floored, and elated...and What the FUCK, Tasha?!!"

"I couldn't tell anyone. There's a good reason why, and I'm sorry, but on that you'll have to trust me. For now."

Rich's brows furrow. "Why tell me?"

Her eyes steady on his, Tasha replies "The moment we told you about Reade's 'death', I could see how devastated you were. Everyone was, but you seemed especially hurt by it. And I'm SORRY Rich. There was no other way."

"But...how?"
A simple one-word response. "RAYMOND REDDINGTON. He enlisted your buddy Ice Cream to dig him out and keep him safe until Red could safe house him."

"ICE CREAM...that SHIT!" This may explain (in part) why Tasha was not as hostile to Ice Cream as one might expect: The Icelandic "fixer's" burner phones lead Madeline Burke to their hide-out and the subsequent drone strike. Yet Tasha oddly DID NOT draw and 'burn' him the second he appeared.

"When we decided to split up, I went back to the cabin, planning to sneak in and recover the body. Ice Cream's guys got there first. Reade was barely alive. I stayed with him all the way until we were all supposed to meet here."

"What did he take as payment?"

Suddenly shifty-eyed, Zapata says "I uh...TBD."

His dread rising by the second, Rich insisted "What did he take as payment?!"

"I told you."

"No...OH NO, Tasha..."

"Not what you think. It's not possible that the baby's his. There was no...it didn't involve....it wasn't THAT ...Really, Rich."

"Do you promise, Tash? Because I'll murder that fuck - I WILL," He insisted.

"She smiled gently, touched by her friend's concern. "YES - I promise. Even though I told Reade once that I'd do anything to protect him - to save his life, nothing is off the table - NOTHING, Rich. In the blink of an eye and with zero regrets. I will do what I have to do because I love him more than my own life. Don't worry: I can handle Ice Cream."

"No, you won't. I'll deal with him." Rich is as angry as the Latina has ever seen him: his eyes smoulder with rage. "Don't worry, Tasha. It's handled."

"Don't get hurt, Rich. I mean it."

"You're not going to see him alone. I mean it."

"You're sweet. But I am going. Alone. I'll be OK - Red's guy - Dembe is shadowing me. It'll be OK."

***Three hours later***

"I'm gonna kill you, Piotor. Do you understand? For what you tried to make my friend do. Forget the TBD. It's not happening."

"Rich, Rich, Rich...be careful threatening me. You don't have very much leverage."

Rich snickers. "It's good then that Ray Reddington DOES: have leverage." Rich can imagine Ice Cream's face blanching on the other end of the line...

***One Month Before***

Zapata gazed lovingly at her Man...her Lover...her Life Partner. The Man she hoped to have many MORE children with someday. He was so badly injured-she'd nearly passed out when she first saw him. Ice Cream's connections are FAR and DEEP: the best medical professionals for Reade's types of injuries were employed. Some of them surmised that the former AD's heavy musculature and past athletic history played a large part in mitigating damages to his body.

In the hallway outside of the room Reade is recovering in, Zapata confronts the international 'get it' man."When will he be moved?" Her affect is flat and businesslike, and she asked it between clenched teeth.

Piotor Stefannson aka "Ice Cream" replied, "I'm told that three weeks is the estimate. Now; as far as payment..." he said this in the sleaziest possible way.

"Yeah, about that - I'm not letting you fuck me. I can get with Rich, and perhaps arrange for reasonable compensation later on. You know our situation. And you and Rich are friends or at the least colleagues."-

"More like associates , let's say," Ice Cream amended. At any rate, there will need to be a conversation-no rush-but prior to your...'beloved's' release...of course I mean his medical release."

If looks could KILL, Natasha Zapata's would. Her voice deadly quiet, she stated "When READE hears about your offer I'm sure he'll waste no time addressing it with you." She added an evil smile before she backed away from him, hand on her pistol. The criminal hacker returned the smirk, but after Zapata departed the grin left his face...

========

A bit later Tasha filled Reade in on her discussion with IC. Reade asked, "What does he want you to do, T?"

"No te preocupes. Descanse ."(Never mind. Rest).

"No lo hagas. Pase lo que pase ." (Don't do it. Whatever happens).

"Haré todo lo necesario para ti ". (I'll do whatever is necessary for you).

"Tasha...look at me, Mama. Your job is to keep yourself and our baby safe and unharmed - that means NO RISKS -understand?"

"I-"

Reade reiterates "No risks, Zapata."

VERY reluctantly Zapata agreed. "OK, Ed. Alright."

/TBC/