Setting: Post S04E13 Isabella Stone. Completely AU. Because I missed Keenler so much.

Torn

At Ressler's apartment

He opened the door and found her standing there.

"Keen." His voice was cracked.

She looked at the beer in his hand and then looked at him. His blue eyes were a blur. It's almost red. She felt her heart tightened in her chest. Pain.

"Ressler, I heard about your brother." She carefully said. "I'm sorry..."

He said nothing, but his tears were immediately back. He cursed inside and held the door handle tighter. He suddenly lost his tongue.

Then Keen did something unexpected. She slipped her arms under his, embracing him.

He broke down then while she's steadying him.

In the next hour ...

As they sat on his couch side by side, he said to her in his earnest,

"Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me. Actually, you don't have to... now you have a family..."

She put her hand on his instinctively, stopping him because he looked at their hands.

"You are family, Ressler." She said earnestly.

He looked at her again. Little sad. "Right. I'm like your big brother." He gave her a weak smile.

Keen sighed inwardly. He looked so vulnerable.

"You're more than that..." she said.

Ressler seemed lost for a moment, pondering.

"I always want to be more than that..." He blurted out, eyes searching hers.

Keen's eyes looked back at him, silently wondering the meaning behind his words.

Then both were distracted because Keen's phone rang. The moment was loss.

She saw the caller and received it.

"Yeah, just a minute. I'll be at home around 11."

Then she turned back to him. Finding the vulnerable look was gone. His mask was back.

"It was Tom." She said slowly.

"I know." He responded. "It's late after all. You need to go home."

She pressed her lips tightly. She didn't want to leave him, but he's already at the door.

Keen walked pass him.

"Thanks again, Liz." He said. Keen smiled at him and nodded.

He closed the door, pressed his forehead against it, closing his eyes.

"I always love you..." he whispered to the door.

Outside Keen's hand was on his door. 'I always want to be more than that...' His words were back into her mind. 'More than what? More than a brother?' Another voice sprang out. 'What? What do you expect him to say?' 'Now you have a family...' She looked down. Her mind was back to Agnes and Tom and Tom's past. 'You need to go home.' She sighed. 'Yeah... I have Agnes...'

Keen leave his apartment.

The End