Ok, I had to take a crack at a very small one shot based off The Troll Farmer. How could I resist? Thanks for reading :)
SIXTY SECONDS
There were many things Donald Ressler hated about the man. Far too many to count even. But, the thing he hated most was Raymond Reddington's ability to read people. To see past any walls one might have built. To see past the bullshit. Past the anger. To see through it all and come away with one undeniable truth. Something he even hated admitting to himself. Something that creeped up on him. He felt like he had been suckered punched the moment it hit him.
He had feelings…real feelings…for Elizabeth Keen. He had always been by the books. Follow the rules. Then he met Liz and he found himself drifting from the core principle and values he lived his life by. He knew he felt something for her more than he should for a while now but he refused to acknowledge it. Then he spent her birthday with her and damn if that didn't just secure things. But, really what made him finally acknowledge his feelings was the moment he caught up to her when she was trying to break out of the Post Office.
His job was to stop her. To bring her back in. That was his job. But, he knew she was innocent. She didn't infect the Senator with anything. Well, not knowingly that is. He knew something wasn't right and that she was being set up. What was it they say? If you love something let it go. Some shit like that. Well, in those few seconds he had to decide what to do and he let his feelings for her overrule his duty to the job. He let her flee.
Then she went and did the unthinkable. The call came in that she shot and killed Attorney General Tom Connelly. His heart sank. Liz wasn't a killer. She wouldn't have been a killer if he hadn't let her go. He let her go and she killed a man. All it took was his feelings for her to destroy everything. It took him less than sixty seconds to make the call and go with his gut. And it was his feelings for her that helped kill Connelly. His feelings allowed her to ruin her life. His feelings made him complicit in her escape. His feelings.
And Reddington knew. He knew. Damn that fedora wearing mind reader. And now he was there…a criminal...asking him for his word. As a man of honor. To give Liz the benefit of every doubt. That wasn't hard to give. What was hard to swallow was the fact that he was to blame for Liz being in this position in the first place. And even harder was when he and Samar came to the conclusion that Liz was heading to the Russian Embassy.
Then as he stood on the other side of the gate from her, listening to her lie about being an FSB Agent, all he could think about was he did this. He let her go. Let her run from one crime that lead to another that led to her being taken away from him. She was on foreign soil now and there wasn't a damn thing he could do. No amount of negotiating would get her out of there. They had her now. And he was to blame.
"Donald," Red's voice came through his phone.
"I know, Red. I know," he hissed as he hung up.
She would be dead if she got on that plane to Moscow. He ignored Samar as she yelled at him not to do it. He jumped in to their SUV…the one that Liz always rode shot gun in…and sped off after the convoy. They would no longer be technically on foreign soil and maybe, just maybe he'd have a chance to get her. As he sped up he said a silent apology to Liz before ramming his SUV in to the side of the car she was in. He could hear voices on the radio and knew it was Samar. All he could focus on was Liz. As Ressler stumbled out of the SUV he noticed the car that she had been in.
Gun raised he cautiously approached. To his surprise, but really it shouldn't have been one, she was gone. He could see her blonde hair flopping in the wind as she tried to run away. He wasn't going to let her go. Not this time. Not ever. So, he chased after her. His breath hitched as he saw the black car pull up to her as they rounded a corner. The passenger door flew open and after taking a quick glance at him she jumped in.
He stopped abruptly and watched the car drive off. He knew he had to call it in. So, after giving it a minute to actually sink in she was safe for now from the Russians and safely in Red's company he called Samar and gave her the description of the car. Red wasn't stupid. He would be switching cars since he saw this one. Ressler sighed. He did it again. He let Liz Keen blur the lines of black and white for him. He gave them time to get away and it was his job to bring her in.
"Ressler," he barked into his phone.
"Thank you, Donald."
"Don't thank me. I'm going to find her again and bring her in," Ressler said.
"I have no doubt you will try." Red chuckled. "Thank you for saving her from the Russians and what was sure to be a death sentence."
Ressler heard her voice in the background and his heart skipped a beat.
"No, dear. It was a very stupid move. Be thankful Donald intervened," Red said obviously having a side conversation with Liz.
"They have the make and model of your car." He closed his eyes. "You should be hearing sirens by now. Won't be long."
"Donald, Donald, Donald," Red said as if speaking to a child. "We both know that I've already ditched that car." There was a pause and his voice was muffled. "Lizzie, give me a moment please. Because I want to speak with Agent Ressler."
"Look, Red. I'm not doing this with you all day. Is there something else you have to say to me? Because if not, I'm rather busy trying to catch you."
"Don't blame yourself," Red came back and his voice was clear. "You aren't responsible for any of this. She is a big a girl and made her own choices. She knows this. I know this. Don't blame yourself."
"I don't know what the hell you are talking about," Ressler growled.
"Oh, but I think you do." There was a pause. "Don't blame yourself. And don't get reckless. This game of cat and mouse would be no fun without you. Besides, I only speak with you now."
"Speak with me?" Ressler spit out. Red couldn't be suggesting what he thought he was. "No. We aren't doing this Red."
"I'll call in a day or so with the next name on the Blacklist," Red said firmly before hanging up.
Damn him.
He was not going to play this game. Ressler would not be helping Red take down his enemies. And Ressler would not listen to Red when he said this wasn't his fault. He was to blame and he'd take his share in it. But first, he needed to find them and bring her in. That was his job. His job wasn't to listen to his feelings when it came to Elizabeth Keen. His job was to push everything aside and focus on bringing her to justice. His job was to up hold the law. Not help her break it.
And the last thing he thought about that night before going to bed was just how much he hated Reddington's ability to read people and just how little he was looking forward to the call with the name of the next Blacklister.