Ressler looked up at the clock on his office wall. 9 p.m. Time to call it a night. He'd spent the past few hours going over more of the evidence they had seized from Kirk's house, hoping it would yield some clue as to Kirk and Agnes's whereabouts, but so far he was coming up dry. He gathered the remnants of his dinner and swept them into the trash and shoved his laptop into his briefcase. He grabbed his keys, tossed his jacket over his arm, and flipped off the light in his office. It had been a long day, but they'd captured their target and, if Reddington was to be believed, that meant they were one step closer to finding Agnes. He hoped so, because even their success today felt far from a win with the baby still missing. As he walked out into the now silent War Room, he was surprised to see Aram still sitting at his workstation, his head bowed in his hands.
"Aram, what are you still doing here?" he asked as he crossed the room and stopped in front of Aram's desk.
"I could ask you the same thing," Aram raised his head and Ressler couldn't help but notice that his eyes looked glassy. Something was clearly wrong.
"You ok?" Ressler asked. Aram looked away and blinked rapidly.
"Not really," he replied bleakly.
Ressler hesitated. He and Aram were friends, certainly. But they didn't really have the kind of relationship that typically extended to discussing one another's problems. "You want to talk about it?" he asked finally.
Aram shook his head and waved his hand. "No, don't worry about me. It's late. You go home."
Ressler sighed. "Come on, Aram. Spill it. Is this about the op today? We did the right thing taking that chopper down..."
Aram shook his head again. "No, it's not that..." His voice trailed off.
"Problems with the girlfriend?" Ressler asked lightly.
"No, Elise is great," Aram replied. He looked down at his hands. "It's Agent Navabi. We had a fight. I said things and I slammed a door and now I..."
Ressler smiled ruefully. He was all too familiar with fighting with Samar but for Aram, this had to be new territory. Not to mention that Samar had been much more on edge than usual since Liz's return from the dead. He put his hand on Aram's shoulder. "Tell you what. Let me buy you a beer and you can tell me all about it."
Aram looked startled. "Oh...well, I don't really drink. I mean, not usually - or not often - or really, not ever. But... sure. Why not? Thank you. I'd like that."
Ressler nodded. "C'mon. Let's get out of here." Aram stood up and grabbed his jacket and followed Ressler to the elevator.
When they reached street level, Ressler said "There's a bar just down the street that isn't terrible. You good with that?"
"Sure, wherever you want. You lead," Aram replied nervously and Ressler had to refrain from laughing out loud. Man, Navabi really rattled him, he thought as they walked. He couldn't wait to hear this one.
The bar was nearly empty with just a few businessmen in suits perched on stools staring at the televisions behind the bar and a small cluster of students at a booth in the back. Ressler chose a booth along the wall and slid on to the seat across from Aram. A young waitress came over and greeted them with a smile. Ressler glanced at Aram. "You want a beer? Or something else?"
Aram's eyes darted back and forth between the waitress and Ressler. "I'll have...whatever he's having" he said finally. Ressler arched an eyebrow, but ordered two beers. "Better bring him a water, too," he called after the waitress. When the beers arrived, he clinked his glass against Aram's.
"Cheers," he said. Aram hesitantly sipped the beer, but then smiled, relieved. "It's good. Or, at least, it's not bad. I like it. Good choice." Ressler nodded, amused, and leaned back in the booth and loosened his tie.
"So what's going on with Navabi? Seemed like she was jumping all over you today. What did you do?" Aram took a deep breath and explained the whole story. When he was finished, Ressler leaned forward on his elbows and stared at him, dumbfounded.
"Let me get this straight. Navabi's upset because you have a girlfriend? And - despite what a crazy reason that is for her to be mad at you - you feel bad because you told her you couldn't wait for her to leave after she called you out for what happened today?"
Aram shrugged. "And I slammed a door. Which I never do. Look, I know it sounds crazy. I don't get it either. I mean after what you guys did how can she be mad that I'm seeing someone?"
Ressler winced. He still felt bad about that one. Not one of his finer moments. "Look, Aram..." he began.
Aram held up his hand. "No, forget that I said that. Look, I had no right to be mad about that. And, looking back, while I thought had a right to be mad about you calling Agent Navabi a bitch, I am starting to see how maybe that might have been justified under the circumstances..."
Ressler laughed. "Well, I definitely don't pretend to understand women and especially not Navabi." He clinked his glass once more against Aram's. "There was a time I thought you and her might be a thing," he continued. "But now? I mean after all this time and nothing's happened, I would not have expected her to get all bent out of shape about you moving on to someone else. I mean, she had to have known how you felt about her, right? It was obvious. But she did nothing about it?"
Aram smiled sadly. "I guess that's what's bothering me. Maybe she didn't know. Maybe it wasn't obvious. Maybe I should have done what Tom said and told her before it was too late..."
"I don't know if I'd be taking relationship advice from Tom Keen, but who am I to say," Ressler replied, taking a long sip of his beer.
"I mean, did Agent Keen know?" Aram asked hesitantly.
"Did Keen know what?" Ressler replied, taking another long sip of his beer.
Aram paused for a moment as if weighing whether to continue. "Did Agent Keen know how you felt about her before she went back to Tom?" he asked finally.
Ressler nearly choked on his beer. He stared at Aram speechlessly as he felt his face flush. Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached for it gratefully.
"Ressler," he said.
"It's Tom. Do you know where Liz is?" Ressler could hear the anxiety in the man's voice.
"No, I don't where she is. I thought she was with you. She went home hours ago," he replied. Across from him, Aram looked concerned as he realized who he was talking about.
"She was with me. We had a fight. She left and she's not answering her phone. I hope she's with Reddington, but I need to know that she's safe. Can you call her, please? She might pick up for you." Tom replied in a clipped tone.
Ressler sighed. "Yeah, I'll try her and I'll call you back either way. Give me a minute." He hung up the phone and glanced at Aram.
"Apparently you and Navabi are not the only ones fighting tonight," he said grimly. "That was Tom. I gotta call Liz and see if she's with Reddington."
"Of course," Aram said anxiously. "I hope she is. I hope she's ok."
"Me too," Ressler replied as he dialed Liz's number. He was grateful when she answered on the second ring.
"Hey," she said softly. "Now's not really a good time. I'm with Reddington."
"Well that's what I needed to know," Ressler replied. "Tom called me. He was worried. Wanted to know if I knew where you were."
"Yeah...it's a long story," she replied with a sigh. "Can I call you back in a little bit?"
"Yeah, sure," Ressler said. "I'll let him know you're safe." He hung up the phone and looked at Aram. "She's ok. I just gotta call Tom back and let him know that." Aram nodded, relieved, as Ressler punched the number for Tom's cell and filled him in.
"Thanks, man," Tom replied. "I really appreciate it. How did she sound? Did it sound like she's gonna come home tonight?"
Ressler rubbed a hand across his face. He had promised himself that he would tolerate Tom Keen for Liz's sake but the man was testing his patience.
"I have no idea," Ressler said tightly, "because I don't know what happened. I don't know what you did that made her leave in the first place. Look, if you hurt her.." He could feel his anger rising, remembering Tom's past misdeeds. Aram's eyes grew wider as he listened.
"I didn't touch her if that's what you're asking. I would never do that again. That wasn't the real me." Tom replied angrily.
"Good," Ressler said coldly. "But whatever you did...if you hurt her..." He pursed his lips, fuming quietly as he let the implied threat hang in the silence. "Look, she's safe with Reddington, whatever else is going on," he said finally. "The rest is your problem." He hung up the phone and looked at Aram. "What a crazy day," he said, shaking his head. "We better pay and go back and pick up the car in case Liz needs anything tonight."
Aram nodded and Ressler flagged down the waitress and settled their tab. They walked back to the Post Office garage in silence. When they reached their vehicles, Aram turned to Ressler and said "Thank you for listening tonight. I really appreciate it. Good luck with Liz."
"Thanks," Ressler replied. Aram started to walk away but stopped and turned with his hands in his pockets. "I hope someday you get to tell her. Liz, I mean. How you feel. I hope you get that chance. She deserves better than she's got." He turned and continued towards his own car as Ressler stared at his retreating back, speechless once more.
As he pulled out of the parking lot, his phone buzzed again.
"Ressler," he answered.
"Hey, it's me," Liz replied. "Sorry about that."
"Where are you? Are you ok?" he asked. "Tom said you guys had a fight."
"I'm in the car with Dembe," she replied. "He's supposed to take me home. Which is kind of the last place I want to be right now."
"Hey I'm in the car right now. You want me to come get you? Meet you somewhere? Just ask, Liz. I'll do whatever you want," he replied.
Liz was silent for a minute, thinking. "Yeah, would you?" she said finally.
"Tell me where and when and I'll be there."
"Hold on," she said. He could barely make out snippets of a muffled conversation between her and Dembe. "We're not far from your place," she replied when she came back on the line. "Can I just meet you there?"
"Sure, see you soon," he replied as he hung up the phone. As he drove the remaining blocks to his apartment his mind was whirling. Whatever had happened between her and Tom, it sounded serious.
Red's Mercedes was waiting when he pulled into the parking garage of his building and Liz climbed out of the back seat when she saw him. Ressler walked up to Dembe's window. "I'll drive her home later. You go ahead." Dembe nodded and they watched as the Mercedes glided slowly out of the garage.
Liz was quiet as they headed up to his apartment and he unlocked the door. She stood in the middle of his living room looking around as he shed his jacket and tie. "I haven't been here in while," she said, smiling sadly at him. Ressler smiled back at her, remembering another night long ago where she had shown up at his door after a fight with Tom.
"You want anything?" he asked to lighten the mood.
"No, thank you," she replied as she sank down on to the couch. Ressler came and sat next to her, his hands on his knees.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
Liz slowly filled him in on the details of Kirk's video link and Tom's botched attempt at tracing the link against her wishes. When she was finished, Ressler shook his head.
"So he lied to you, again, after everything."
Liz closed her eyes. "Yes. I thought I could trust him but he fooled me... again," her voice cracked slightly. "No wonder he has no respect for my profiling skills. Apparently, I suck," she buried her face in her hands as Ressler wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm.
"Don't say that. Don't you blame yourself. This is his fault, not yours. Look at me, Liz." Liz looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with tears.
"This is not your fault," he repeated. "He should have trusted you. You trusted him the other day when we were on the roof and it worked. If he had a problem with what you wanted him to do - or not do - he should have told you."
Liz shook her head. "You told me years ago you placed no stock in profiling."
"Yeah, and I was wrong," he said firmly. "All these years - seeing what you've done on our cases - I trust your judgment."
"I thought you'd be mad that I didn't tell you about the link," she said softly.
"Not mad, Liz..." He ran his hand through his hair. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I wish you had felt you could trust me with that but - she's your child. I get why you didn't."
"Thank you," Liz replied softly. "I feel like I talk to Tom and I talk to Reddington and I start to doubt myself, you know? I start to feel like they just each want to do their thing and leave me out of it."
"We're all working towards the same goal, Liz. We need to be a team. Now's not the time for solo ops," he replied, shaking his head.
"I agree," she said as she leaned in and rested her head against him. Finally, she sat up and yawned. Ressler stood up and stretched and glanced at his watch. It was nearly midnight.
"Want me take you home?" he asked. "You're also welcome to stay," he added quickly, and as he met her eyes, he knew they were both thinking of that other night where she had done exactly that.
She gazed at him silently. "I should go home," she said finally. "Avoiding the problem isn't going to get me any closer to finding Agnes." Ressler nodded and grabbed his keys.
"Let's go," he said extending his hand to pull her up off the couch. They drove back to the safe house in silence through the dark and quiet city streets. When they pulled up in front of the warehouse, one of Red's men approached the car.
"I'll be right there," Liz said, waving him off. She turned to Ressler and took his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for tonight," she whispered and to his surprise, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before turning and climbing out of the car.
He rolled down the window. "Liz," he called out as she reached the warehouse door. She turned and looked back at him. "Want me to pick you up on my way in, in the morning?" he asked. She flashed him a broad smile. "Yes, I'd like that. Coffee's on me this time, though."
"Deal," he replied with a chuckle and he closed the window and pulled away from the curb.
As he drove back to his apartment, his thoughts returned to Aram's comment from earlier that night that had caught him so off guard. Did Agent Keen know how you felt about her before she went back to Tom? He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. She had to have known, right? It certainly seemed obvious enough to Samar and Aram. But you never told her, did you? the nagging voice in his head repeated. He'd wanted to. Hell, he'd planned to before he'd heard that she was pregnant. He shook his head. No point in thinking about it now. He had to stay focused on the mission of reuniting Liz and her child. One fight does not end a marriage, or a quasi-marriage or whatever the hell they have, he reminded himself. But he couldn't help but smile as he recalled the gentle brush of her lips on his cheek. Tomorrow was another day.