-Rest and Renewal-

"Hey, Good Morning."

"You ready to eat?"

"Almost, just need to spritz my hair a bit."

He took his jacket off and tossed it on the couch then headed towards the small kitchenette. He grabbed a mug from her cabinet and started the coffee pot. He pulled out the bag of fresh bread and loaded three slices in the toaster. He wondered what the hell that even meant…spritzing your hair? "You want an egg or raisin bran?" he asked as he continued to ponder what the difference was between spritzing and spraying.

"Egg, please."

He found the small carton of eggs she kept in the tiny fridge and fried up three eggs and buttered the hot toast.

"You want jam or just butter?"

"Ummmm…...Jam."

Ever since her car had gone on the fritz, and he had to snicker a little at that little gem, as it was some over-priced yuppie Mercedes that was supposed to be foolproof with the German engineering and all, but, he mused that it was probably that hipster assclown, Tom that had insisted they get it. It still irked him that that moron was loose and could be anywhere. He almost felt guilty hoping that Reddington had seen that Tom was gone and, the cement shoes type of gone.

He spooned jam onto her toast and buttered his while watching the weather forecast on the TV. He'd found himself in a new morning routine with his partner. She'd given him a keycard so he could just let himself in. Normally he'd find her ready and making their breakfast but on occasion, such as today, she'd still be fussing with her hair or face paint or whatever and he'd start breakfast.

Today she was fully dressed, which wasn't always the case. There were the bra and panties mornings, which were really his favorite, then there were the bra and panties and camisole mornings. Still a favorite but not quite as much so,and then there were the days like today when it was strictly a hair or makeup thing that was held up. And, was he slightly disappointed about that... 'maybe' he grudgingly admitted. But, at least he'd finally gotten used to her rushing around in all of her different states of dress.

The first few times this had occurred, he'd been surprised even though he knew she was just hurrying with her morning routine and was completely confident in her state of partial undress around him which said a lot in itself. That and the fact that she'd helped him put it in perspective after she told him to just think of it as if they were at the beach and she was in her swimsuit. After some thought on the subject of her laying on the beach, basking in the sun in a swimsuit he did admit that the panties and camisole were pretty much just like a swimsuit so he relaxed...well he relaxed as much as he could given the situation, but, it was getting easier.

She came out and as usual, she looked great. She had on some biker looking outfit with a black pullover hoodie, black pant and big black boots.

"You gonna kick some ass today, Keen?"

She took on a crappy John Wayne sounding accent and replied. "Well pardner, I'm going to eat these here eggs first, then, if I have to, yeah, I'll kick some ass." She smiled as she pulled up a chair and began to eat and chat with him.

"I hope we catch McKinnion today. We're so damn close, I can just feel it. And, if I'm the one to get him, yes, I'm going to kick his ass."

Ressler grinned. That was the partner he'd come to expect working with. The gentle little flower that could change in an instant and deliver a good beating when necessary. "Aram texted. He and Samar pulled an all nighter and he thinks he's got him pinpointed from a cell signal."

Her face lit up. "His intel is usually good, so I just hope it's today. I'm sick of this guy. Every time we get close he's already in the wind."

"Even Reddington thinks we've got him boxed in now, so I'm thinking today is the day you get your wish."

"Check my straps will you?"

Ressler leaned over his partner and made sure all of her velcro was done up on her vest. "You're good." They donned their FBI nylon jackets and set their final plan. Their intel was good. MacKinnion was inside the warehouse and all they had to do now was go in and pull him out.

Keen held up three fingers as she nonverbally communicated with her partner. Three, then two and then one. Just as they burst through the door, MacKinnion was already running and out the window and on the roof. Ressler didn't even pause but shoved his way through the window and followed out onto the roof. MacKinnion was several lengths ahead of him and pulled a move that made Ressler want to beat him even harder when he caught him. The guy hurled himself blindly off the roof, landing roughly on top of the neighboring building. 'Fuckin' moron' he groused as he followed and threw himself onto the next roof and landed hard on his legs. He felt the pain travel up into his hips but kept running. Just a few more feet and he'd be on him and the beating would begin.

He'd left Keen behind but knew she could hold her own until he got back to her. As soon as they entered, she'd pulled off a crack shot and had one of the suspects down and was already going after the other. He pulled out his cuffs and had MacKinnions left wrist secured when he decided to try and go ninja on him. Ressler dodged the bad attempt at a roundhouse kick but was unlucky and took the second kick full in the abdomen. It was then he heard her scream. Luckily he still had MacKinnion in his grasp as he yanked hard on his cuffed left arm. The cuff worked like a handle and Ressler was able to pull Mackinnion down to the cement. He stepped squarely on the center of his spine and applied pressure as he bent and cuffed his arms together. "You're gonna pay for that, moron!" He shoved him over onto his back with his foot and then yanked him up roughly and cuffed him securely to a pole in the alley. He needed to get back to Liz now.

Liz had never felt so much pain. She managed to shoot one of MacKinnions goons but was now under attack from the second one. He'd been able to get her onto her back and knock her gun from her hand when he'd sacked her. She saw his arm go up and then swing down hard and felt the shuddering punch he delivered to her gut. It knocked the wind out of her as she scrabbled to gain purchase on the floor. He hit her two more times until she was fully out of breath, gasping on the floor with her arms akimbo at her sides.

"Not so tough now are you. I'm gonna carve you up like a turkey, you little bitch."

She heard herself utter an obscene response, but knew she was in trouble as he tore at her shirt. Luckily she had on her vest and was glad it wasn't so easy to tear off. He was holding one of her arms down with his full weight as he tore at her pants with the other. The sheer force caused them to split at the side seam and he tore them partially down her body. She screamed in his face as loud as she could hoping her partner was close enough and could get to her. She felt a mix of fear, nauseau and anger as she tried to fight off her attacker.

He'd crawled onto her legs now, crushing them with his sheer weight and had her effectively immobilized as he produced a knife from his boot and held it above her, ready to slam it down in a swift arc. She reacted in pure fear now. Screaming Resslers name over and over.

As Ressler came around the corner, what he saw chilled him. Liz was on the ground, on her back with a dead perp laying to her right and the other one on top of her, ready to stab her! He didn't even call out a warning, he just shot. He fired three times in quick succession and jerked to a halt as the perp fell face first onto Keen. He ran up to her so fast he found himself slipping down onto the pavement next to her.

Keen was gasping and trying to catch her breath as he threw her attacker off of her, visually confirming he'd made a kill shot, as blood gushed from the guys neck. "Talk to me, Keen!" he yelled as he visually appraised her. Thankfully he didn't see a knife wound or gunshot. She lay dazed and partially exposed before him on the cold concrete. He felt his blood boil up in anger as he whipped off his nylon FBI jacket and covered her. He pulled her up into his lap and cradled her head and comforted her as best he could. His hands shook ever so slightly as he dialed his cell for back up and then instinctively called Red. He momentarily wished Mackinnion's two lackeys were still alive so he could hand them over to Red and let him get medieval on them.

"Ressler, Ressler, I...oh god, Ressler I didn't think you heard me!" She was struggling now and clutching at him, trying to stand up.

"Hey, hey, take it easy. Stay down. Just lie down okay. I'm here. I got you, Babe. I got you."

She crawled up farther into his arms and was now beginning to sob,. It reminded him of the time he'd found her at the cabin of The Stewmaker. Why did this have to happen to her again! Why were people fucking crazy! It was bad enough that she'd taken a beating from their perp, but for her to be vulnerable like this was wrong. His adrenaline was pumping hard and he needed to hit something.

She had blood on her face and he used his shirt tail to wipe it away. He heard the emergency vehicles approaching and cradled her closer, making sure he kept her covered.

As a young male EMT approached, Ressler didn't want to let go of her. He clutched her closer and the man stopped and put his hands out in a non threatening manner.

"Hey Man, let's get you and your partner some help, okay?"

Ressler remained silent and didn't budge.

"Is it okay if I have a look at her?"

Ressler only heard 'look at her' and he snapped and raged.

"NO, no it's not okay. You don't look at her! Nobody looks at her! She's not a fucking animal in a zoo exhibit!"

The paramedic backed away and called another over. Ressler thought he saw Red's car pull up but ignored it. He felt weird. He didn't want anyone near her but knew she needed help. Just as he was about to yell again in rage, he felt a hand on his shoulder and before he could even react a distinctive and calming voice resonated in his ear.

"Donald, Please, let's get Lizzy to the hospital so she can receive help. You must let them take her now. Can you let them take her, Donald?" he gently prodded as he calmly waited for a reply, now kneeling next to Ressler.

He heard himself whisper a reply to Red. "I almost didn't get to her soon enough, Red. She could have been...she could ha…"

"No Donald, quite the contrary my friend, if it weren't for you, Lizzy would be dead. You obviously got to her soon enough. She's alive." The older man now had his hand on Ressler's shoulder.

The paramedic cautiously approached as Red waved him over. Red now kneeled down in front of Liz and Ressler, and took her hand while at the same time still patting Donald on his shoulder. "Let's get her out of her, Donald." He watched as Donald's arm, that had been locked around Lizzie, gently laid her head on the ground as he kept his other hand firmly on top of her lower section that was covered with his jacket. "She needs a blanket."

Ressler heard Red call out to Dembe and in a brief second Red handed him a folded blanket.

Red watched as Ressler gently wrapped the blanket around Lizzie and tucked it under her.

The two men made eye contact as Red waved the paramedics over. As they lifted Lizzie onto the gurney, she never let go of Resslers hand. He walked along side of her and hopped into the ambulance with Red at his side. They rode in silence all the way to the hospital and Red noted that Ressler never let go of Liz's hand either.

Red quietly watched Ressler and Liz noting how agitated the younger man seemed to be and how quiet he was at the same time. They'd just collared a major blacklister and normally the two of them would be almost ecstatic at this point, with Ressler arrogantly and cockily boasting of their capture and Liz smiling at his side. Something was wrong.

"What do you need to tell me, Donald?" Red quietly asked of the younger agent.

Ressler raked his free hand through his short hair and whispered to Red. "I think...I think she was molested." He said it in a halting voice and looked to Red in sadness.

Red's eyes blinked and he stared at Ressler in momentary silence. "Let us hope that isn't the case, Donald," he uttered as his countenance changed and his eyes watered with unshed tears.

Ressler felt oddly comforted knowing that he and Red were now on the same page. Both men felt useless and awkward while at the same time angry and hurt in their own way.

As Liz was taken into the emergency room, she briefly panicked at the thought of the exams and things that would take place. She didn't want to go through that alone and really wanted Ressler to stay with her. Her brain wasn't functioning normally and she knew the confusion was due to the trauma she suffered. As the doctor came in, both Red and Ressler stood up. She looked up at him and then down at their joined hands and squeezed his. "Stay. Please stay."

He bent and spoke in a low voice. "Liz, they're going to do tests and things. You know, private stuff and you won't want me…"

"Stay. Please. I know I'm not making any sense, but I want you to stay." she pleaded.

He glanced over at Red who gave him a sad smile in solidarity. The Doctor began to protest Ressler's presence as Red jumped in.

"Really, Dr. Sarnev, you do need that new cancer wing completed don't you? Think of how it will help those children and their families. It would be so sad if the funding ceased now wouldn't it…"

Getting the point, the doctor began his treatment as Red got up and left the room.

Ressler was quiet and knew that given the state he'd found Liz in, they'd have to examine her and do a rape kit. As uncomfortable as he was, he could only imagine how uncomfortable she was. He listened intently, almost holding his breath as the doctor asked Lizzie the sensitive questions to determine if she'd been raped or not. He felt himself quietly exhale as she described what almost happened. Thank God, he inwardly thought. He'd gotten to her just in the nick of time. She'd suffered some undignified abuse but had not been raped. The doctor was now preparing an injection and he started to flashback to the "hospital" they'd both been held in, that turned out to be a diversion. They'd injected them both with something at that time. She must have been thinking the same thing as they both simultaneously asked "What's that?"

"A sedative to help you relax, it won't knock you out, but it will take the edge off."

Ressler looked at Liz who nodded as the injection was administered.

"It's his turn now…" she muttered to the Doctor.

Sighing heavily, Ressler finally let go of Liz's hand and removed his shirt and stripped down to his boxers. The doctor examined and cleared him of any injuries more serious than just bruises and contusions.

Liz sighed and closed her eyes as she felt the immediate heaviness of the drug affect her nervous system. She was relieved, embarrassed, sore and angry all at the same time. Even with her eyes closed, she was embarrassed to feel a tear escape and roll down her cheek. She sniffed as she felt a warm thumb gently wipe her tear away. "It's okay now, just rest" came a deep and comforting voice.

The Doctor came back in the room an hour or so later to find Ressler, still holding onto Liz's hand as he rested uncomfortably in the small chair at her bedside. Liz's eyes fluttered open and she sat up to listen to the doctor.

"All of the tests we ran came back clear, so, I'm going to send you home. I know you're sore and tired so I suggest a hot bath and rest. I'm prescribing a mild sedative for you to take as needed if you're in any pain. You should feel better in a few days with no lingering problems. On my orders I want you off for at least two to three days, and you," he glanced at Ressler, "I want you off for the same amount of time to let those bruises and contusions heal up."

Ressler opened his mouth to protest and was cut off by the Doctor. "I already faxed this information to your superiors Agent Ressler, so I expect you to take this seriously. Both of you, go home and rest."

Ressler was surprised at how quickly the whole fucked up mess concluded. As they exited the exam room, they were greeted by a smiling Red who immediately fussed like a mother hen, surprisingly over the both of them.

"Ah, there are my two exceptional government employees." He took Lizzies hand and gently kissed it. "I'm so very glad you're okay, Lizzie. You as well Donald."

He continued as they exited the large hospital. "I hope you two will do exactly what the good Doctor Sarnev advised." He handed Ressler a white pharmacy bag. "I took the liberty of having Dembe get Lizzie's prescription filled so you don't have to stay a moment longer in this bacterial petri dish they call a hospital."

I was hoping the two of you would consider joining me at the estate I'm staying at, there's plenty of room for you to recuperate and I can have Mr. Kaplan stay the night to watch over you if you likebut, I do have to warn you that I'm having a few friends over as I was anticipating more of a celebration now that MacKinnion is out of the way. I've invited Mick and Keith and their associates over for cocktails and some music. Nothing big, but it could get a tad loud."

Ressler and Liz gaped, open-mouthed at Red as he continued. "I would be remiss if I didn't mention it, so, I'm sure you'll want to pass on this invite," he chirped. It was just like him to add some levity to their situation. Liz got into the Suburban as Dembe got into the driver seat of the Mercedes and they both waited as Ressler and Red wrapped up their conversation.

"Donald, a word please."

Ressler and Red stepped behind the two vehicles. "Donald, I can't begin to thank you for being there for Liz and being with her now."

Ressler uncomfortably licked his lips, sighed and shook the hand that Red offered him. "I wish I could have done more to stop that prick."

"Well, all things considered, this could have turned out much, much worse. I'm sure Lizzie will have some lingering feelings about what happened to her but she's tough and will undoubtedly soldier on. But, Donald, she'll need your help and support."

"She's always had it and always will."

"Good to know. Good evening, Donald."

Ressler watched as the older man made his way to his car. 'Wow, what a day' he thought.

After stopping at his place to pack a few things, Ressler pulled the Suburban into the parking lot at Liz's hotel. They both knew he wouldn't be dropping her off and going to his own apartment tonight. Tonight was about rest. Tonight was about them as partners. Tonight was about him not letting her out of his sight. Tonight was about a safe and restful place for them both. They walked silently to the elevator and to her room. He threw his bag on the floor near the TV and immediately went and boiled some water and made them both a hot pot of tea. They sipped their tea as she took the medications that had been prescribed for her. They sat momentarily on the couch, side by side, not sure exactly what to say to each other.

Ressler wished that there was one of those huge double sized soaking spa tubs like some of the fancy hotels had in Keens room. All she had available was her shower, which would be fine. He'd let her take her time to sooth her sore body and cleanse herself, then he'd do the same and then they'd sleep. But his mind thought about the indoor spa that was near the exercise gym. He knew about it, as every day that he picked her up, he stared at the sign as he rode the elevator up to her room. It was on the ground floor near the back staircase. It was technically closed at this hour but he knew if he greased the right bellman, they'd get privacy for an hour.

He was, admitedly, as sore as she probably was but knew he couldn't rely on any pain medication to help ease his soreness. That spa was sounding better by the minute..

"You got a swimsuit?"

Keen looked over at him with a puzzled look. "Yeah...why. Are we flying to Acapulco?"

"Get it on and grab two towels. This place has a spa that's got our names on it."

She gave a quick nod of approval and went into the bedroom and came out a few moments later wearing a short robe and flip flops carrying two towels.

"What are you going to wear? don't tell me you have swim trunks in your suitcase?"

"Nope, but you're always telling me that underwear is basically a swimsuit, right?"

Catching on, she grinned. "There's a first time for everything, Ress."

They didn't even run into the bellman and they found the room to the spa was unlocked. It was after midnight on a weeknight so he guessed nobody would even know they were in there. If a security guard came along, he'd slip him a twenty and all would be well. He grabbed two bottles of water pulled on his sweat pants and left his boxers and his t-shrit on as they headed to the elevator.

They both sighed as they slipped into the hot water. He reclined and got comfortable and she sat down next to him. They spent the next few minutes just relaxing with their eyes closed as the hot water blissfully soaked away their aches and pains. He knew she'd talk when she was ready, but, what he wasn't prepared for, was the fact that he spoke first.

"Keen, are you sure you told the Doctor everything about..you know…"

She turned her head and looked at him. She could tell he was troubled and worried that something else, something darker may have happened to her and that she may not have shared that in the exam room.

"He touched me. His hands...you know...they...they grabbed at me, but it wasn't a big deal."

Ressler immediately fired back adamantly disagreeing with her statement that is wasn't a big deal. "It was..it IS a big deal, Keen. You were almost raped. He tore your pants off for Christ sakes. I swear that mother fuc.."

She cut him off swiftly and without even thinking, kneeled in front of him on the gunite floor of the spa, between his knees so she could address him face to face. "He didn't. The important thing is he didn't, okay. I'm good." She felt unshed tears start to pool in her eyes as she continued, her voice quavering only slightly. "You got to me in time. You got to me," she repeated as she exhaled heavily.

They were eye to eye now and so close there were only inches separating them. "Thank, god," he whispered, cradling her face in his hands. Emotionally spent, she began to cry softly as he found his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her flush to his body so she was straddling him. It was at that point that he leaned in and kissed her. It was deep, it conveyed, he hoped, what he felt for her. Fear, relief, anger, protectiveness, a bond and more importantly, realizations about many things. He felt her soft lips on his and insistently nudged them open with his tongue. He gently lapped at her sweet mouth as she cried softly and answered him with her own deep, sensual kiss. One that washed over him like a benediction. One that melded them together, one that solidified what they'd been through and would go through together in their future. Both reveled in the taste and the feel of each other.

When their lips finally parted, she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes in his embrace. She felt him shift her around and she snuggled down into his lap and stretched her legs out as he cradled her close to his chest. They soaked a few more minutes then went up to her room and crawled into her bed and slept a deep, relaxing, and healing sleep. This was a night for rest and renewal.