Happy Ressler Birthday Year 1

Author's Note: As a compliment to my Wing Yee Birthday series for Liz, here's a celebration of Ressler's birthdays over the years. I'm starting this one here, but it'll continue as a series under the title Happy Ressler Birthday—so please look for that if you want to continue reading it.

Takes place after Anslo Garrick.

Let me know what you think!

LLLLLLLLLLL

Don Ressler was half asleep when the door opened and Liz Keen looked into his room.

"You decent?" Liz asked him with a smile.

"Never," Ressler chuckled. He realized as the words came out of his mouth that he must be quite hopped up on some good drugs. "Come on in, Keen."

She walked inside smiling and hiding something behind her back.

"So, three days in the hospital and they didn't even let you go home for your birthday?" Liz asked him.

"Apparently not," Ressler shrugged as he tried to sit up a little more in his hospital bed.

Liz pulled a paper bag out from behind her and smiled at him.

"Happy Birthday?" Liz asked with a grin.

"What's that?" Ressler asked, sitting up a little more.

"Remember that burger place you just needed to go to for lunch one day?" Liz asked him. "Guess where I just came from?"

Ressler smiled. "Jersey Shore."

"I tried to remember which one you ordered," Liz said as she handed him the bag. "I hope I got it right."

Ressler looked inside the bag and saw a burger and onion rings.

"Thanks," he smiled at her as he reached inside the bag. "You're not eating too?"

"No, Tom made us an early dinner," Liz said as she sat on the edge of his hospital bed.

"You're welcome to come onion rings," he said as she took out the burger and unwrapped it.

"Oh, now I can have some?" Liz teased. "Last time you were practically guarding them with your life."

Ressler looked at the burger. "You got me the Father Phil."

Liz could tell he was pleased and smirked.

He bit into it and made happy eating noises.

"I didn't bring you cake," she chuckled. "But if you're laid up here for another week, I figure you don't need the calories."

He chuckled. "They've been feeding me really salty soup. And toast. A lot of toast."

Liz looked at his leg and nodded.

"It's already looking better," Liz said.

"Yeah, I'll have to start physio soon and probably have a cane for a bit," Ressler said as he continued to eat. "But better than losing it."

"You almost lost it?" Liz asked, surprised.

"That's what they said when I woke up," Ressler sighed. "I try not to think about it."

"You wouldn't be able to play soccer," Liz said. "Or, you know, have 2 legs."

"Yeah, scared the shit out of me," he admitted.

"I bet," Liz nodded.

She watched Ressler enjoy his burger for a couple of minutes.

"So, spending your birthday alone?" Liz asked, thinking that as soon as the words came out of her mouth, she sounded like she was prying and feeling sorry for him.

"A few of the guys from soccer are coming by after supper to watch the game with me," Ressler said. "My mother called first thing in the morning like she always does…"

"That's sweet," Liz smiled.

"Yeah, it is pretty sweet," Ressler admitted as he continued to work on his burger.

"Sounds like a good birthday," Liz said with a smile. "And who got you the balloons?"

"Oh, Audrey," Ressler smirked.

"Audrey?" Liz asked, intrigued to finally hear something about the man's personal life.

"Don't look at me that way," Ressler chided. "She's my ex, who is engaged to someone else now."

"Oh," Liz's face fell. "Well, it's nice she brought you balloons."

"She's been here everyday," Ressler said, trying not to sound hopeful.

"Doesn't sound like any of my ex's," Liz chuckled. "You two must have parted on really good terms."

"Not really," he admitted. "But she's just a really great person."

Liz nodded and hoped he'd continue to divulge information. He finished his burger instead.

"Well, I'm glad you've had visitors," Liz said. "I meant to come earlier but I was still settling some estate issues from my dad."

"How are you doing with that?" Ressler asked.

"Okay," she nodded.

He nodded.

"And, uh, thanks for saving my life back at the Post Office," Liz said bashfully.

"I didn't," Ressler said.

"You gave the code that kept me from being shot," Liz said wide-eyed. "I'd say that's saving my life."

Ressler gave her a small smile.

"Hey, who chose the code?" Liz asked intrigued. Romeo and Juliet was one of her favorite plays and she had told Ressler that, offhandedly, a couple of months ago.

Ressler had chosen the code, and he had because of her, because of a ridiculous attraction he had to his married partner that she would never, ever, learn about. But he wasn't going to tell her that.

"It's from the operations manual," Ressler explained. "The next one will be Robin, as in Christopher Robin."

Liz smiled, slightly disappointed for reasons she didn't want to think about. "Oh, okay."

Just then, the door opened, and a beautiful statuesque brunette walked inside and then stopped when she saw Liz.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she smiled at the pair of them.

"It's okay Audrey," Ressler said. "This is my partner Liz Keen."

Audrey looked relieved for a moment and then walked toward her with her hand outstretched. "Don told me about you."

"Don't believe a word," Liz chuckled as she shook her hand.

Audrey laughed and then Liz noticed a small pastry box in her other hand.

"It looks like I brought dinner and Audrey brought dessert," Liz turned and smiled at Ressler. "I'll leave you two."

Ressler nodded. "Thanks for the dinner, Keen."

"Anything to save you from the salty soup," Liz said with a smirk before she walked out of his room.

She stopped outside the door and listened for a moment. She heard Audrey telling him about the mini cake she brought him, Ressler telling her she has already done so much for him, and the two of them laughing about something Liz couldn't catch in their muffled voices. She hadn't heard Ressler really laugh much but here he was a minute into a visit with his ex, laughing. There was a lot Liz didn't know about her partner, but she learned a little more tonight, and what she learned made Ressler more human and less standard-FBI-issue. And the appearance of a gorgeous ex-girlfriend caused Liz to remind herself that she was married, he was her partner, and he obviously had a life beyond his work.

Liz smiled to herself, happy she was able to contribute to Ressler's birthday meal, have a nice non-awkward visit with him, and see that he was improving. She needed to get home to her husband and start working on that relationship a little more and stop thinking about her partner who obviously had a life of his own that she was not part of.

To be continued…