A missing scene before Liz finds out about whatever it is in that safe deposit box. Still finding my feet with these character's voices, so if you have any feedback, that'd be great :)

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Let the Sleep Come

…

She contemplates just not answering the phone when it rings, but when it silences for a moment only to start up again, she thinks it might be of some importance.

Liz lifts herself from the bed, not checking the caller ID as she answers with, "Keen."

"Hey. Uh, wanna let me in?"

The voice of Agent Donald Ressler had been the last thing she'd been expecting when she'd settled herself in for a restless sleep and yet, here it is, coming to her through her phone in her slightly sleepy haze.

"Ressler?"

"Yeah. Look, I don't want to impose – I know you've got some things going on, but Reddington, he uh…reached out to me, told me you might need some food."

She still feels sick in her stomach over everything that the last couple of days has dealt her, the betrayal of her husband, her whole life stripped down to lies in a matter of a few hours. But food does sound good; she can't remember the last time she ate.

"Yeah, I'll let you in."

Her sleep attire shouldn't be a shock to him when she opens the door. It's after midnight and if what Red had told him was right, she's had a trying enough day to warrant wanting to just curl up in bed. But the expanse of her legs poking out from a pair of very short pyjama shorts does catch him slightly off guard.

"Hey," he says again, holding up the bag of Chinese take-out.

She lets him in, guiding him into the lounge room. There's no need for formalities at this time of night and she's also pretty sure the dining table is missing a leg – they can eat from the couch, "You really didn't have to do this, Ressler."

He sinks into the seat next to her, pulling an assortment of dishes from the bag. "It's Don. Okay? We're partners." The way he says it makes Liz sure that any argument would be in vain. "We haven't worked together long enough to know each other's orders, so I just got you a bit of everything."

She smiles in appreciation, not really sure how to say thanks without getting choked up.

Although Don has eaten for the night, he feels bad just watching his partner consume her food, so he picks up a bowl of soup and has a few small mouthfuls to at least give the illusion of eating something with Liz.

"So Reddington sent you?" she finally asks, breaking their comfortable silence.

Don has another spoonful of soup, "Yeah, called me at home, told me to bring you food, hung up and, judging by the fact I can't get hold of him again, dumped the phone."

"He's just feeling guilty."

Ressler puts down the soup, gaining his partner's attention, "Liz, what the hell happened here?"

She can see his eyes dart to the dining room, still in shambles from the fight with Tom, to the broken banister, to her bandaged wrist. It'd be pretty hard to deny any activity, but she still isn't sure who she can trust with the whole truth.

"Tom and I fought." The silence that follows stretches on too long and Liz notices Don's fists clench more than once, his obvious protective instinct kicking in. "He left. He won't be back."

"You shoulda let me rough him up."

Liz smiles at that and reaches across the small space between them to place her hand over Don's, "I'll keep you on speed dial just in case." She knows she should be insisting that she doesn't need a man to keep her safe, but having a partner who actually cares about her is kind of nice and she'd like to hold onto that.

Before she can take her hand back, Don turns his arm over and grasps her fingers. He doesn't say anything for a moment, just smooths his thumb over the scar on her palm before letting it go, "I, uh…I just think you should know that I don't think you're a bitch. Okay?"

Her mind flashes back to her first day on the task force, Cooper asking her to profile herself and Ressler sitting behind her. She didn't think he'd been listening. "Thank you," she whispers, not sure how to process actually being liked by her colleagues.

He nods, his eyes sincere and honest, and there's a moment. Just a flicker of something undefinable and too intimidating for now, but maybe something they'll think of from time to time in the long months to come.

Don helps her pack up the many containers of food, stacking them in the fridge for her to eat over the next couple of days. "That should do you until Wednesday," he says softly. "I'd better see you eating those noodles for lunch at work."

She rolls her eyes, not entirely used to seeing this side of her partner. She wonders if it's weird that the thought 'this must be what Audrey saw in him' crosses her mind, but shakes it off, dismissing it as sleep deprivation and stress. "Thanks again," she says, closing the fridge door and following Don as he walks towards her door, "I'll uh, see you tomorrow."

It seems strange that he's leaving, somehow. Like he'd just walked right into her life and fit there.

"Yeah, tomorrow." He pulls on his coat and opens the door, "Get some sleep, Liz."

She nods, smiling as she sees him out.

When she lays her head down on her pillow this time, she feels weightless and burden free and maybe, just maybe, that's entirely to do with her partner.

…

Let me know how you went :)