Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

MADELINE BURKE AND TASHA ZAPATA, UNKNOWN LOCATION-SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE

[Zapata's and Madeline's attention is drawn to the 80" TV screen attached to the farthest wall, on which FBI Director Matthew Weitz introduces the NYC office's newest
Assistant Director, Edgar Reade...]

When Reade steps to the podium, the seasoned Agent, who has been undercover more times than she can count in her law enforcement career, makes a critical slip: she can’t help the
tiny smile of pride and affection from curving her pretty red lips.

Madeline doesn’t fail to catch the mistake, the fucking witch. Eyeing Zapata carefully, she asks, “What’s the exact status of your relationship with the New Assistant Director?”

“None. We’re colleagues.” By the look on Madeline’s face, she’s not buying it.

“Come, Natasha…I’m a…MATURE Woman, who has seen that same look too many times to recall. If it came to it, could you kill your... “colleague”?, the old Bitch inquires, smirking.

“Give the order,” the Latina replies, forcing herself to keep her expression cold and unforgiving.

-READE AND PATTERSON, HIS OFFICE, NYC-

"You look terrible, Reade...sorry", the blonde tech genius says, with genuine concern.

"I haven't slept; I'm barely eating. I keep seeing her face, hearing her explanations, excuses...whatever they were. Wondering if she ever really loved me...or was she just playing me...
if I knew that, I could relax and focus." He bears all of the signs of a sleep-deprived beau genuinely concerned about Tasha's well-being.

Patterson's words are gentle, but firm when she responds. "Doubt her motives, and her methods, but I'm closer to her than anyone alive, except you...one thing you never have to doubt,
Reade: she loved you; she loves you STILL. This I KNOW, okay?"

"Thanks, P."

"Sure."

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READE, AT HIS APARTMENT

He activates voicemail, wanting to hear the message she'd left him earlier....just once more, before retiring for the night.

The voice is husky, with a slightly-more pronounced Spanish accent he recognizes from when she's being especially earnest:
"It's Me, Reade... hard to get a chance to respond to your calls with eyes on me nearly every second...I'm fine, I don't want you to worry...this path...just know that I can't turn back, or get off of it:
I would if I could, but I have so many amends to make. You'll understand one day, I promise. Ummm...I know how you get-SLEEP...and EAT...te amo...sinceramente (I sincerely love you. Bye.")

"Just stay alive", Reade murmurs.

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-READE AND WELLER, IN THE FBI LOCKER ROOM, JUST BEFORE END OF DAY-

"Anything from Tasha?", Kurt asks quietly, sitting down beside Edgar.

"Voicemail. Says not to worry about her-and to sleep and eat."

"Good advice, Brother. No good comes of you making yourself ill."

"But YOU KNOW what I'm going through-after Jane left, and no one had any idea where she is, if she's still alive."

"I do...it was hell, I won't sugar coat it. I know that chica a long time, Ed, recruited her from NYPD...one thing that you can trust, Man-something's OFF as FUCK about this 'I'm quitting
the CIA to join Madeline' shit. I don't buy it. She's working something else, and she will do everything in her power to make it back to us...to YOU...she' loves you Boyo-she's IN LOVE
WITH YOU-just as she said."

"You sound so sure...I almost believe it."

"She CALLED."

"Yeah."

At a few minutes before midnight, Weller bids his boss goodnight, stating that hat he needs sleep desperately and securing a promise from Edgar that he will at least try to sleep, and have
a meal. Jane isn't in bed when he arrives; she sits in the living room drinking wine, staring off into the distance, obviously pre-occupied. Kurt tries humor to bring her out of her reverie:

"What's cookin', Beautiful? You can't think about me all day, every day...well YOU COULD, but..." he ends with a laugh.

Forcing a friendly grin to her beautiful lips, Jane/Remi replies, "I certainly could, and many times DO, but just now I was thinking about how things have come round for us. After every-
thing, here we are, back together. Now-you are to take it easy, Mister...no over-doing it. I want you fit and ready for when the Medic declares you 100% ready for bedroom duty." (I hate your
fucking guts!, she longs to shout)...

-THE NYC LAB-

Rich: Am I crazy-well, I am kinda cuckoo-but doesn't this mural (he indicates the world mural on the wall) remind you of this (he displays one of Jane's tattoos onto the big screen).It’s part
of the ones taken from the Tokyo cache, which is why they’re only noticing now. The Team studies it, and conclude that it is part of one taken from the Tokyo cache, though the different
shadings of it is noticed by sharp-eyed Patterson. 'We should get an art expect to take a look at this", she suggests.

Rich: "BOSTON", in a half-cough, half-statement.

Jane/Remi: Do we REALLY wanna do that?"

Patterson: He does know an insane amount about art forgeries.

Jane/Remi: I'll go and grab him up.

Chapter Text

-TASHA ZAPATA AND MADELINE BURKE, SWITZERLAND-

A horrifying new reality begins to dawn on Zapata: Madeline Burke is much more lethal than Blake could ever have been. She intends to bring HCI Global fully under her control,
using any and all means necessary to achieve that end: "We fly to Stockholm in two hours-Dear Hank's attorney has information we require-a hard drive."

"Sure Mrs. Burke."

"Madeline's fine, Dear...TWO HOURS."

"Sure, Madeline."

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In Switzerland, Zapata enters the attorney's home and acquires the hard drive; that is not enough for Madeline, who walks in and shoots the man, point-blank! "Be a dear," she says
casually, and after handing the .380 semi-automatic to Tasha, strolls out. WTF!! W-T-F!!...

As she’s working, she hears a noise (it seems to derive from and finds the deceased man's young daughter cowering in a bedroom closet. The Agent faces a moment of truth,
head-on: has she gone so far, so DEEP into this assignment, that she'll truly do whatever it takes-what Crazy Ass Madeline? Certainly, the CIA would have no problem with her murdering
the Child in order to preserve her cover...She backs out, indicating that the Little One should keep silent: not make any noise. We need to find another way, she thinks to herself, holstering
her pistol and quickly exiting the residence. Keaton HAS to bring me OUT. I'm not LIKE THEM, she tells herself. I'M NOT !

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A few days later, Madeline announces that she'd like Tasha to accompany Dominic Masters to Amsterdam, a sensitive matter requiring some delicacy. "The two of you will pose as
Man and Wife; your contact is a Man known for his...AFFINITY for beautiful Latina women. "Dominic is tasked with the actual acquisition: YOU get the contact's attention, and keep it.
Understand?"

"I believe I do...though I'd like to hear it from you."

"Fine...you'll need to be convincing as Dominic's 'Spouse'-this particular gentleman is known to install cameras in the mansion's bedrooms. Distract the contact so that Dominic
needn't worry about untimely interruptions."

"I'm not doing that," Natasha states emphatically. I've proven my loyalty, and I will not be whored-out on this or any other assignment."

"You should think carefully about this, Agent Natasha Zapata." It's the coldest Tasha has ever heard her sound.

"Yes- Agent ...and rogue or not, CIA will have to send a message, a clear one, that nobody fucks with the Agency."

Ten minutes of silence tick by, and Madeline finally says: "Very well. I'll accede to your wishes THIS TIME. And I have a clear message of my own, one that you'll do well to hear
and listen to: Madeline Burke ain't nothin to fuck with, as iconic rap group Wu Tang Clan so succinctly put it. I'll assign you something else."