The Motherboard (The Blacklist x Scorpion)

25. Ken

Malibu, 10.12

Morgan sit on a bench, facing the backyard. She looks far away to the scenery, thinking on what she did earlier that day. It pissed her off because she wasn't fast enough. "Where were you this morning?" Reddington walks in and questioning her whereabout. "He's gone. Ken is gone."
"You tracked him? All by yourself? What were you thinking?"
"No, Walter helped me out. Ken doesn't have digital trails, but his wife has. You're not the only one who does a digging on him. You do that without telling me as well. We tracked Ken up to one of his safe house. And damn right, I came for him alone, I didn't tell Walter either. But he's not there."
"Yes. And Walter told me what you did. Because you put yourself in danger."
"My life...is a mess. My mother is a snake, my father is a well-known fugitive, my husband died, right now I'm nothing more than a weapon, a tool, and well...Scorpion....even though they aren't saying anything, I know they're not really welcome me as a member. They need someone who can think and act like Paige. They will be better with Laila. Not some additional smart-ass like me. So at this point....I have nothing to lose. I dare you to beat me up to it."
"You are my daughter. You are everything to me."
"Did you not realize...that your life turned upside down at that moment you got me?" A tear comes down on her cheek but she quickly wipe it out. "The truth is... I'm tired. I don't even know if I still want this. The....hunting of Ken and the organization. Too much people getting hurt in the process..... You know Ken had a daughter? She's 15. I hate him to the center of my bone but.... imagining me growing up without you for my whole life. Do I dare to do the same?"
"Morgan...."
"No, don't tell me to have no sympathy. I'm not you."
"Morgan I'm not gonna..."
"What?"
"You're bleeding." He pointed out to her nose and she wipe it with the back of her hand. "Morgan what happened?"
"Nothing. Just tired." She's actually counting how many times this happened on the past week and it's getting worse from there. She keeps forgetting things and talking nonsense lately.

"Morgan, if anything happened, you need to tell me."
"So far so good. Don't worry." She gets up and get inside the house.

L.A, 14.35

The tires just touch the ground and Patrick could smell the wind coming through his face. The smell of home. He still can't believe he got a deal from the FBI. They gave him freedom if he's working for them in return. It feels so unreal.

There are not much stuff he got in his bag, only a couple of clothes and a brand new phone. A real fresh start. "Welcome back, Mr. Jane." An officer put a stamp and let him get through the gate. "Thank you." He get his bag and then goes to find a cab outside, but then a car stop right in front of him.

"Patrick."
"Mr. Reddington. How do you know I'll be here?"
"I pulled some strings in the FBI, get you home."
"It's you? The deal? The job?"
"Yes. And now I need your help."
"My help, about what?"
"Something is wrong with Morgan. I need to know what it is. And you're gonna keep your eye on her."
"Why not ask her directly? You're her father."
"She won't. But I got some information on you. She trust you. She got no other to share with, so that's gonna be you."
"But she told me about Walter..."
"He's not gonna know anything. She decided to let him go. He already found a girl for himself as well." Reddington looks serious. And desperate.

"Okay. I'll ask her."
"No. If you do that, she's gonna know it's me. You have to be really close to her. Find out what she knows."
"Alright. But I only do that because I am worry about her. Not because you told me to. So any secrets that she has...that I think has nothing to do with you, I'm not gonna tell you that. Only the one that's necessary."
"I know. That's why I can trust you."

Malibu, 19.38

She flipped through a building blueprint, a pile of documents, and list of names. Although she said she doesn't want to hunt Ken again, but she wants to know who is he and what's her own play. Why the Crimson Prime is in all of these. Ken didn't have a family name. And unlike any other man, his wife is actually the source of his last name. "Ken Garrlington. Who were you before Crimson Prime?" There is a missing timeline from Ken's life that she can't find yet.

She needs to clear her mind and to cover whatever it is that happen to her lately. She put her training clothes and hang a punching bag. It's been a long time since the last time she work out specifically like this, both of her fists are still pretty strong. All that she could think about while punching the bag is about Ken. "There must be a life before Ken became Ken. His record is too clean to be a real person....maybe parents..."

She looks at her phone that's ringing, there is a picture of Walter and Laila on her screen.
"Yeah?"
"Morgan, I want to say sorry for telling your dad. I was worry about you breaking in alone."
"No, no. That's fine. It was stupid. He wasn't there either. He knew me and my dad are hunting for him."
"I wanna call you last night. But Laila caught a flu."
"You don't have to be worry about me. Thank you though." She takes a deep breath and close her eyes. She wants to say something but she doesn't know how.
"Okay then. I'll be....."
"Walter. I...need to say something."
"Yes?"
"I don't think I will come to the garage again."
"What do you mean? Is this because I told your dad about..."
"No. It's not that. I just....think that I better not doing so."
"Morgan, if it's because of Reddington, I swear I'll...."
"It's more personal Walter. Please just considering what I was saying."
"I'll come to your house. I'll be there in one hour."
"No, Walter please don't..." He hung up the phone.

Reddington's Apartment, 19.50

"Reddington! Reddington!" Walter is knocking on the door and Dembe quickly open it. "O'Brien?"
"Where is he? Where's Reddington?"
"You are upset, you need to go."
"No! I know he's here. I need to talk to him!"

"Dembe. Let him in." Red comes out and face him. "Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"You keep taking her from us."
"You mean from you?"
"It doesn't matter! I'll not let you. Not this time."
"You don't understand what you are saying, do you?"
"Call it off!"
"Why should I?"
"Call it off! Why won't you let her live her life?"
"You better watch out what you're saying to me Walter. Because I'm not the one who drives her away from you. It was her decision. Because she needs to cut you out of her life. Because she loves you. So if you're gonna unleashed anything to me here, you better learn the truth first. Being with you makes her vulnerable." Walter's jaw dropped, his mouth is open but he can't say anything.

"You lie to me. She doesn't have anything for me. She makes it clear that we are friends."
"Then you didn't pay enough attention. She had too much around her, she doesn't want you to get hurt. That's the truth." He step back and walk back to his car.

"Walter.. one more thing. Let her go."