Situationship Chapter 7
Author's Note: Ressler and Liz are both discovering that this situationship isn't all it's cracked up to be and now, a little weather to complicate everything. Here is the conclusion to this little story.
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"I know honey, mommy will try and get there before Santa, but if I can't, you can show me all the wonderful gifts you got from him when I do get to Florida," Liz said into the phone as she watched the airport departure board flights flip from delayed to cancelled.
"Scottie will send me pictures if I can't make it for a couple of days…" Liz said trying to cover her ears and phone from the man throwing the loud fit at the ticket counter. "Mummy has to go sweetie, I'll talk to you in the morning, okay?"
Liz blew her daughter kisses into the phone and hung up.
"She okay?" Ressler asked Liz.
Liz wiped at her eye.
He dropped his bag and wrapped a firm arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him.
"It's bad enough she's staying with Scottie, but now I can't even get there to see her open her presents," Liz cried into his coat.
Ressler held her in his arms and let her cry quietly against him. A huge storm had rolled into the East Coast 2 days before Christmas and their flight from Seattle had been diverted to Detroit. At first it looked like it was just delayed, but as the storm kept rolling into the East Coast, hours of delay turned into cancelled. And now he was reading about an ice storm coming through Florida in the next couple of days that could cause further havoc for Liz trying to get there. He hadn't told her that yet.
"I tried to get you diverted to Atlanta but with so many flights grounded they aren't letting anyone go south right now," Ressler said as he felt her trying to take deep breaths and calm down.
He rubbed her back as he held her and kissed the top of her head. It had been months that they'd been together, and it felt more like they were very special to each other with every day that passed. As much as he wanted to spend Christmas with her, he didn't want it this way. He wanted her with Agnes more than he wanted her with him. He was an adult, and she had a little girl that needed her more.
He felt her nod against him and squeeze him a little tighter. They had talked about contacting Reddington who, by some miracle, could probably get her down there. But, with everything that had happened with him, Liz didn't want to be indebted to him further, even if it meant she had to rely on commercial travel to get her to Agnes. And, he got that. It didn't make it any easier to see her suffer, but he needed to just let her make her own choices.
"Come on, my brother should be here any time," Ressler said as he felt her start to pull back.
He reached for her bag and threw both bags over his shoulder as he guided her toward the escalator that would take them to where he and his brother agreed to meet. The weather in Detroit was typical for this time of year; snowy, icy, and windy. The storm may be making everything a little more snowy, icy, and windy but people from Detroit were used to it.
"It's gonna be okay," he said reassuringly, wrapping an arm around her as they walked. "We'll get you down to Florida as soon as this storm lets up."
Liz nodded and wiped at her eyes. He stopped walking suddenly and reached for his phone.
"Post 67," Ressler said as he looked around at the posts outside and saw they were at post 64.
"Let's head outside, he's just a couple down," Ressler said, nodding toward the doors that would take them outside into the wind and snow. The case they had just closed was in Seattle, so they were not dressed for the weather at all. Ressler looked down at his dress shoes and Liz's heeled boots and hoped neither of them took a nosedive while walking to Robby's car.
"Hold my arm," he said as he stood next to her.
"Ressler, I grew up in Nebraska," Liz chuckled as they walked outside into the snow squalls.
"And you probably had on proper boots," he yelled through the wind as he walked with her gripping his arm toward post 67. Apparently, she had also realized that growing up in Nebraska was not preparation for a cold Detroit Christmas in inappropriate clothing. "And didn't just suffer from a concussion less than two months ago."
Robby jumped out of his car and walked toward them taking the bags from Ressler and throwing them in his trunk while Liz got in the back seat and Ressler got in the passenger seat.
"Well, this is one way to get you home for Christmas," Robby joked as he got in the warm car and turned the wipers on higher.
"I was coming home between Christmas and New Years," Ressler said, annoyed that his brother again reminded him how he was going to miss Christmas with his family.
"And now you're home for Christmas," Robby chuckled as he pulled out into traffic. "And so is Liz."
"I'm trying to get to Florida to Agnes," Liz said from the back seat.
"Did you hear about their ice storm hitting there tonight?" Robby asked. Ressler sighed; he was hoping to find a better time to tell her about that.
"What?!" Liz snapped.
"Yeah, this shit is pounding the east coast and now freezing rain coming into Florida from tonight into Christmas day, they're predicting, at least," Robby said absently.
Ressler looked over his shoulder to see Liz pull out her phone and start to, probably, look at the weather in Detroit, DC, and St Augustine Florida.
"Let's just see how it plays out," Ressler sighed. "Sometimes it just stays off the coast."
Robby looked over at him and shook his head in the negative and Ressler turned to see Liz's face glowing from the screen on her phone as she looked up weather reports.
He sighed and turned to look at the road ahead. Things had changed a lot for them in the last month or so. They stayed regularly at each other's places, went out for dinner, he kept some things are her apartment and she at his. He now had chamomile tea in his cupboards and found a pair of her undies and a t-shirt of hers in his laundry last week. Yet, they hadn't spoken about what this was between them. Five out of seven days they were at one of their places together, it felt very much like a relationship, but she had made no move to re-define her original request of light, easy and no commitments. He was both the happiest he'd every been and the most frustrated he'd ever been, all at the same time.
When they got to his mom's Robby waited in the car.
"You're not coming in?" Ressler asked.
"Carol and the kids are at Ginny's and I need to get back," Robby said.
"Oh shit, sorry about that," Ressler said honestly, suddenly realizing that others had plans on December 23rd.
"It's fine," Robby waved at him. "Got me out of listening to Wayne talk about his fucking golf game. Hey, you two should come over if…Ginny's just a five-minute drive…"
Ressler looked at Liz standing freezing in the snow watching a weather radar scanner on her phone and shook his head.
"Probably not," he said. "But maybe we can come over and see the kids tomorrow. I haven't seen Ben and Sarah in a while."
Robby nodded. "Have a good night. Glad to have you back brother."
"Thanks for everything Robby," Ressler smiled at him and nodded.
Ressler closed the door to his brother's car and looked up at the lit-up house before them. No one knew about him and Liz, as far as his mother or brother was concerned, they were just work partners stuck in his hometown. And, with Liz so obsessed with figuring out a way to get to Agnes, he imagined their relationship, would be the last thing on her mind.
"Come on, Liz" Ressler said kindly as he took her bag off her shoulder. "My mom will be waiting for us."
She nodded absently and followed him up the stairs into his mom's house; her face still watching the screen.
"Ma!" Ressler called as they walked in the door.
"Donnie!" Lisa Ressler called from a room at the back. Within moments the redhead was coming into the front hall hugging her son and smiling at Liz.
"You must be his partner Liz," Lisa smiled at her. "He says you're tough as nails after the car accident you were both in."
Liz laughed and playfully elbowed Ressler.
"Well, I learned from the best," Liz smiled at Ressler.
"Donnie said your daughter is in Florida?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah, with her grandmother and I'm supposed to be there tonight but…it doesn't look like that's happening," Liz sighed. "Or tomorrow from the looks of the radar."
"Oh honey," Lisa said as she patted Liz's arm. "You can't do anything about the weather, but let's get you warm and comfortable until you can catch a plane."
"Thanks for having me, I'm sorry to intrude on your…"
"No intrusion!" Lisa interrupted. "My boy is home for Christmas this year."
"I was coming on the 27th ma," Ressler said.
"And now you're here on the 23rd," Lisa patted his cheek and smiled at him.
"I'll put the kettle on," Lisa said. "Donnie, you show Liz the guest room. I put on fresh bedding and there are towels. Donnie, I put fresh bedding in your room too and you know where the towels are. "
"Thanks again Mrs. Ressler," Liz smiled at the kind woman.
"Call me Lisa," she said. "Come down when you're ready, I have pork chops and potatoes because I imagine you haven't had dinner after this long day of delays…"
"Sounds great ma," Ressler said as he leaned in and kissed his mom on the cheek.
Ressler walked up the stairs with their bags with Liz following behind him and he dropped her bag on the bed in the guest room.
"So, it looks like my mom put towels out for you and…uh, she doesn't have wifi so you'll need to use your data if you want the internet or Netflix or anything…"
"Where are you?" Liz asked him as she looked out into the hallway.
"Here," he said as he opened the door directly across the hall from hers. She walked past him and into his childhood room with posters on the walls and trophies on the dressers.
"Two beds?" Liz asked.
"My grandma lived with us most of my life," Ressler said. "Her old room is now the guest room and Robby and I shared this one."
"Oh, nice," Liz nodded.
"Not when Robby ate cheese," Ressler joked.
"His wife is Carol, and his kids are Ben and…?" Liz chuckled.
"Sarah," Ressler supplied. "They're about eight and ten now."
"How often do you come home?" Liz asked.
"Not as much as my mother would like," Ressler said as he absently lifted one of Robby's trophies and looked at it.
"A lot of trophies…" Liz smiled at him.
"They're Robby's," Ressler smiled at her.
"Not yours?" Liz asked him.
"No, he was the athlete," Ressler said.
"Oh, wow, I didn't know that, I just assumed…"
He shook his head.
"Huh," Liz sighed.
"You see any action in this room?" Liz asked as she looked at his single bed.
"With my brother sharing my room and my grandma across the hall?" Ressler chuckled. "Uh, no, none."
"Yeah, I guess those circumstances…" Liz said quietly.
He looked at her carefully. Her question was meant to lighten the mood, but her spirit was anything but light; she missed her daughter and wanted to be in Florida and not Detroit.
He stepped toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry about Agnes, but maybe it's just for a night and we can get you down there tomorrow."
She nodded and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his back, and taking a deep cleansing breath. He kissed the top of her head and patted her hair and she sighed contentedly as she drew him in a little tighter and mumbled 'thanks'.
"I'll get you to Florida if I have to drive you there myself," Ressler said as he pulled back from their embrace and leaned down and gently kissed her forehead. "I mean it."
She gave him a small smile and nodded. "What would I do without you?"
He let out a small smile and started to pull her back into a hug when she shifted and kissed him gently on the lips a few times, taking a moment between each kiss to pull back and smile at him each time.
Neither of them noticed Lisa Ressler standing at the doorway to ask them downstairs to eat and neither noticed when she quickly walked back downstairs.
After dinner, they sat around and talked with his mom. His mom showed Liz photo albums of Ressler and Robby as kids and Liz was surprised to see he had longer hair and was a bit of a stoner. Ressler seemed to take it all in stride until his mom pulled him to the side in her kitchen while Liz was in the washroom.
"She's your girlfriend?" Lisa whispered as she smiled at her son.
"What?" Ressler asked, his brow furrowing and his face turning red.
"You have never been able to lie to me," Lisa warned him.
"Why would you think…?" Ressler whispered back.
"I saw you two upstairs," Lisa said with a knowing look. "Had I known, I wouldn't have put you in separate rooms. She must think I'm a…a prude or…"
"She doesn't think you're a prude ma," Ressler sighed. "And no one knows."
"What do you mean no one knows?" Lisa asked.
"It's complicated ma," Ressler said.
He didn't really want to have this sort of conversation with his mother. How did you tell your own mother that he and Liz were in a complicated sexual relationship that may or may not be a relationship but that many times felt like a relationship, but sometimes felt like anything but a relationship? That he faced a disciplinary hearing for beating the tar out of a man who harmed the woman he loved. He loved her; he knew it. She didn't. He had just admitted that to himself when she was laying in a bed drugged up in a hospital. He had since invited her to move in anything she wanted to his apartment, he had not specified that he was also good with her moving in as well.
"You mean with her little girl?" Lisa asked.
"Yeah," Ressler lied and hoped she didn't see through it.
"I never dated after your father passed," Lisa said. "But I can imagine introducing your child to a new man…"
The door to the washroom opened in the hallway and both he and his mother looked toward the hallway.
"Ma, don't…" Ressler started as Liz walked into the room.
"Liz, I'm sorry, you and Donnie can both stay in the guest room, I didn't realize you were his girlfriend," Lisa said.
Ressler swore under his breath and sighed heavily.
"Oh," Liz said surprised. "Uh, um…"
"It's fine ma, we can stay in our own…and Liz isn't…" Ressler started.
"Thanks Lisa," Liz interrupted as she approached Ressler and wrapped an arm around the back of his waist and leaned into his frame. "That's very nice of you."
Lisa smiled at them both, happy her son had found someone nice, and nodded.
"You are a beautiful couple," Lisa said with a smile.
Liz smiled back and Ressler looked at Liz, not sure what the hell was going on.
His mother went to her room and Ressler suggested walking down to the local bar and getting a drink. As they were walking to the bar with Liz wearing a pair of his mom's boots and one of his old bomber jackets from when he was a teenager, Ressler turned to her.
"Why did you…when my mom said you were my girlfriend…"
"Ressler…just go with it," Liz said with a chuckle.
"Go with what, exactly?" Ressler asked.
Liz looped an arm through his and kissed the side of his face.
"And we can now sleep in the same bed," Liz said with a smile.
"Okaayyy," Ressler hedged.
"Okay, what?" Liz asked.
He sighed and stopped walking and turned to look at her.
"What are we doing?" He asked her plainly.
She wanted to be cheeky and say 'walking to a bar' but knew that would make him mad.
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
He swallowed hard and nodded.
"Ressler, I really like this," Liz said as she touched the winter coat covering his chest. "I think sometimes, actually, a lot of the time, I want more from this and I think you do too, sometimes. I want us…"
She paused and looked into his eyes.
He nodded; imploring her to continue with his eyes.
"I also think…" Liz hedged.
He looked at her intrigued.
"I also think that we both don't know where to go from here," Liz said softly.
He swallowed hard and held the side of her face with his gloved hand and leaned in and kissed her passionately.
She returned his passionate kiss and wished they didn't have so many layers between them.
"We'll figure it out," he huffed as they separated.
She nodded and leaned in and kissed him back. After an unknown amount of time when cold didn't seem to matter, they pulled apart, turned around and walked back to his mom's house, crawled into bed in t-shirts and underwear with their arms wrapped around the other person and slept for twelve hours straight tangled together.
And, when they woke on the 24th the predicted weather had happened as predicted and, although flights were starting to open to DC, everything was a mess. Florida was hit with the ice storm and Liz spent half the day on the phone with Agnes and Scottie trying to figure something out while Ressler visited with his brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. When he and his mom returned from Robby and Carol's Liz was sitting quietly in the living room just staring at the lit tree and drinking tea.
Ressler knew she wasn't going to make it to Florida for Agnes to unwrap her presents, she had texted him throughout the day, and he had stepped out from Robby's for an hour to make a couple of purchases he thought would help. He hoped he hadn't over-stepped. He hoped it worked.
"Hey," he said as he walked into the room after taking off his coat. "How's she doing?"
"She's happy there are icicles everywhere," Liz chuckled.
Ressler smiled.
"And you?"
Liz swallowed hard and nodded as she wiped at her eyes.
"Hey," he said as he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her against him.
"I should have been down there days ago," Liz said, admonishing herself. "I have the time…"
"You couldn't have predicted this crazy storm, and you definitely couldn't have predicted a fucking ice event in Florida," he said softly.
She sniffled and nodded. "What did I do to deserve you?"
He chuckled low and deep. "Been horrible in another life?"
She chuckled with him.
"I must have been the equivalent of Mother fucking Teresa," Liz laughed as she played with the buttons on his plaid shirt.
They sat and cuddled on the sofa while listening to his mother's one-sided conversation with her sister in Idaho and said nothing for a good hour, just sat and held each other. His mother hung up and walked into the living room and looked at Liz sadly.
"Donnie told me you got a flight on Christmas day?" Lisa asked.
"I'm hoping they don't cancel it," Liz sighed. "Thanks for having me longer."
Lisa smiled at her. "You make my boy happy. You are always welcome, Liz."
Liz looked up at Ressler smiling and then back at his mother. "He makes me very happy as well."
She felt his heart pick up a couple of beats faster with her words and laid her hand carefully over his heart. They ate turkey and Lisa told Liz a couple of stories about Ressler and his brother getting into trouble as teens. When Ressler's phone dinged, he looked down at it and smiled.
"I gotta call Robby," Ressler said rising from the table.
Liz and Lisa looked at each other confused and went back to eating. They heard him quietly talking to his brother in the other room, leaving to go outside then come back in, Ressler in the living room opening plastic bags and boxes, talking about cables…
"What is he doing in there?" Liz asked, straining her neck to try and look and only seeing Ressler's 1990's jean-clad ass as he leaned over the back of his mother's TV set. They had both raided his and Robby's drawers and closet for old clothes, most of them from the 1990s, to wear over the last couple of days. She was currently wearing Ressler's old Stone Temple Pilots t-shirt under a very roomy old navy GAP zip-up hoodie that used to be Robby's.
"As I said before, when my boys are up to something, it's best to just let it play out," Lisa chuckled as she too looked at her son and wondered what was going on.
"Liz, come out here!" Ressler called to her suddenly.
She jumped from the table and walked quickly to the living room where Ressler seemed to have his phone hooked up to the TV. There were cables coming out of everywhere.
"Video call Agnes on my phone," he said as he pointed to the phone leaning up against a stack of books.
"What?" Liz asked him surprised.
"I downloaded an app and so did Scottie," Ressler said excitedly.
"Scottie? When did you…?" Liz asked.
"I got her number from Aram," Ressler said with a smile. "They're waiting for your call."
Liz looked at him both surprised and confused.
"What did you do?" She asked with a smile as she picked up his phone and saw an app was already open and she just needed to type in Scottie's number.
"You can thank Robby more than me," Ressler said. "He helped me set up all this to my mom's TV and…well, you'll see…"
Liz hit the call button after putting in the number and they watched as Lisa's TV suddenly turned into a larger version of Ressler's phone. When the call was answered it was Agnes' face on the other side.
"Mommy!" Agnes called to her.
"Agnes, sweetie!" Liz called back and laughed. "I get to see you!"
Liz turned to Ressler and mouthed 'thank you' and he smiled back at her.
Mother and daughter talked, and Agnes was introduced to Ressler's mom Lisa, who she could see on the screen, and she showed them all around Scottie's Christmas decorations, the gingerbread cookies she made with the cook, the presents under the tree, and the icicles hanging outside. After the tour, Scottie came on camera and asked Ressler if she should get the box.
"Yeah, let me get Liz's bag," he said, rising from his spot next to Liz on the sofa and walking to the front hall.
"It's getting late, and someone needs to get to sleep before Santa arrives," Scottie said as she smiled at Liz. "It looks like your flight first thing is a go, Liz. I'll send my driver to pick you up."
"Thanks Scottie, I…I can't wait to get there," Liz said practically bouncing in her seat.
"I hid some of her presents so there will still be some when you get here," Scottie whispered as she turned to see Agnes coming into the room carrying a box. "Okay, sit down and wait for mommy."
Liz had a bag put in front of her and looked up at Ressler.
"You ready to open yours Agnes?" Ressler asked her.
"This is from you?" Agnes asked as she turned the box over in her hands, intrigued.
"I'm sorry I didn't get to wrap it for you, but I hope you and mummy like it," Ressler said into the camera.
"Ressler, how did you…?" Liz asked, not sure she understood how he got a present to her daughter in Florida during an ice storm.
"Robby is part of the teamsters," Ressler explained. "One of them got it delivered."
Liz looked between him and the screen with her daughter waiting to open a box and shook her head, amazed.
"Let me open the tape," Scottie said as she undid the edges with a knife and Agnes reached inside and pulled out a fuzzy unicorn onesie.
She screamed and jumped to her feet holding it and jumping up and down.
"Open yours," Ressler whispered to Liz as she watched the joy of her child on the screen.
Liz reached into the bag and started to cry when she felt the plush material.
"Oh my god, Ressler…" Liz said as she pulled an adult unicorn onesie out of her bag.
"You got one too!" Agnes cheered over the video.
"I did!" Liz said as she stood, and the entire onesie dropped open in front of her body.
"Put it on mummy!" Agnes said as she started to pull hers on her body.
Liz pulled off her sweater and stepped into the unicorn onesie in her tights and Ressler's old t-shirt and zipped it up, pulling up the hood as well. Agnes was dancing around on the screen and Liz kept wiping at her eyes as the tears kept flowing.
"We match! We match!" Agnes called through the screen.
"We do baby girl," Liz said before she turned and quickly kissed Ressler on the lips.
"Now, through unicorn magic you can wear these and be together until mummy comes on her plane," Ressler said smiling at Agnes.
Liz looked at him smiling and shook her head as she kept wiping her eyes. Only Ressler. He was unbelievable. He turned being away from Agnes into something very, very, special.
"We won't take them off until you're here!" Agnes screamed.
Liz laughed and nodded. "I will take pictures as a unicorn and send them to you until I get there, okay?"
"Okay!" Agnes cheered. "I want to see everything your unicorn does until you are with me."
"Okay, I will show you my unicorn adventures, and you get Scottie to take pictures of yours," Liz smiled at her happy daughter. "And I will be there in my unicorn, tomorrow morning but you need to get to sleep, or Santa won't come."
"Okay, I love you mummy!" Agnes said as she danced around in her unicorn outfit.
"Uh, this is not going to help her sleep," Scottie joked as she went on camera.
"Sorry about that," Liz and Ressler said in unison.
"No, it's worth it to see her so happy, and you so…happy?" Scottie asked.
"Really happy," Liz said as she watched Agnes dance in the background behind Scottie.
"You've got a good man there Liz," Scottie said as she smiled at them.
"Don't I know it," Liz said as she smiled at Ressler.
"See you in the morning, Merry Christmas everyone," Scottie said as she turned the camera to show Agnes dancing in her unicorn and waving at the camera.
The line went dead, and Liz turned to him with tears in her eyes, wearing a ridiculous fuzzy unicorn outfit. "I love you."
He seemed taken aback by her words for a moment but then recovered quickly. "I love you too Liz, Merry Christmas."
Liz launched herself into his arms and somewhere buried in all of that plush, her lips found his and they kissed. And, unknown to them, the technology-challenged Lisa had found her camera and taken a picture of the moment. Liz followed through on her promise and took pictures of her unicorn-clad self with Ressler, his mom, the tree, the snow outside, and cookies and sent them to Scottie for Agnes to see in the morning.
And, later that night, while Lisa was at the Christmas bazaar and midnight mass, the unicorn onesie came off and Ressler and Liz made slow, passionate, love in the darkness of the guest room. With the words out there between the two of them, it now felt so ridiculous that it took this long for them to figure this out. It seemed so easy to say them now, and they both did several times while they lay tangled together.
And, in the morning he dropped her off at the airport and she kissed him soundly at the gate in her unicorn onesie while people around them starred and giggled at the fully grown woman wearing a ridiculous outfit for her daughter. He playfully yanked on her unicorn tail, and she swatted his hand away before she turned to walk into her gate, taking a moment to turn around at the entrance, blow him a kiss and mouth 'I love you' before she disappeared inside.
Ressler smiled to himself as he watched her disappear behind the gated barriers. What he didn't know at the time, was that she had stolen not only the Stone Temple Pilots t-shirt, but his pajama pants, and an old sweater of his. They would bring her comfort and the feeling that he was still with her over the remainder of her time in Florida; and now that she had Ressler, she wasn't letting him go.
They both finally said what they'd been thinking; they were in love. The last six months had taught them that they belonged together and just needed to stop getting in their own way. And just like that, their situationship had turned into a relationship.
The end. A little cheesy, a little Hallmark at the end, but it's the holidays and I'm feeling warm and fuzzy.