4 Feet—Part 4
Author's Note: And now Liz gets pissed, they get naked, and Agnes gets excited about all the people sleeping over. This turned into a much longer chapter than expected.
Let me know what you think.
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"This is all well and good," Liz said as she got out of the MRI and stood next to Ressler. "But I need to pick up my daughter."
"We can send someone," the agent standing at the door said.
"No, no one is sending anyone," Liz said annoyed. "I need to be the one to pick her up."
"We can…"
"No 'we' anything," Ressler said, coming to Liz's defence. "We need to leave to get her at the end of her school day."
"Oh, you're not leaving with this chip in you," a woman across the room who had been running the MRI scoffed.
"And why not?" Ressler and Liz turned to her asking at the same time.
"If you step one speck over 4 foot you both will likely drop to the ground in pain and be unable to get back under the 4 ft radius and will likely die of heart attacks," she said coolly.
"Then we won't get beyond the four feet," Ressler said as he nodded for Liz to come with him.
They started toward the door together.
"Agents, I must insist…." The agent at the door started as he walked in front of the door; blocking their exit.
"Are we under arrest?" Liz asked as she approached him and grabbed Ressler's hand.
"No ma'am," he said.
"Then move to the side," Liz said with authority.
The agent shook his head in the negative a minuscule.
"Look, you don't want to see what happens when I lose my shit," Liz said standing toe to toe with the large and imposing guard.
"I've seen it," Ressler chuckled. "It's not something you want to be on the other side of. Think of it like a mother lion being kept from her cub…"
"I'm doing something I do with my daughter," Liz said through gritted teeth. "I'm counting to three. One, two…"
The agent took a breath and stepped to the side, immediately calling to his superior on his com.
"We've got about 2 minutes before they bring others in," Ressler said as he took off at a run holding her hand. "Cooper can…"
"Cooper can what?" their boss asked as he rounded the corner and they both came to abrupt halt.
"Sir, I need to get Agnes," Liz said.
"I can send Samar and Aram to…" Cooper started.
"No," Liz insisted. "She needs me. My daughter needs to come home to our apartment, have spaghetti, because it's Spaghetti Thursday and…"
"Liz, until we know what exactly that is that Garrick has planted in the two of you, and why, and what it's capable of, then it's not safe for…"
"Send Samar or Aram with us to monitor us," Liz said, exhausted by the hostage-taking, the cage and bomb, the medical tests…. "They can make sure we're okay. But I'm getting Agnes. Uh, we're getting Agnes."
Cooper looked at Ressler. Ressler nodded his head; he was in support of them leaving.
"Look, Liz didn't get her yesterday, she's a little kid and she needs to see her mom is okay," Ressler explained.
Cooper huffed.
"Reddington said he's got his people hunting Garrick, but he's been underground for years," Cooper said. "Many thought it was just a rumor that Anslo had a son also involved in criminal empires, bombs, and high tech but it seems Dieter does exist."
"Sir, place a team outside Liz's place, send Samar or Aram in with us for medical safety, and let Liz get Agnes," Ressler sighed. "We're both tired and just done."
Cooper nodded.
"Samar will meet you both at Elizabeth's place," Cooper said before he turned to Ressler. "Should Aram get you some clothes and personal items from your apartment?"
Ressler looked down at his dirty clothes that had been on his body for 2 days, and then back at Cooper. "Yeah, I lost my keys and phone and wallet in everything that happened…"
"Anyone else have a key?" Cooper asked.
Ressler licked his lips.
"A woman, Claire, that I was seeing a couple months ago," Ressler said. "l could see if she still has my key or call my super…"
"Call you ex," Cooper said. "If she has it, Aram can swing by her workplace to collect it. Send him a list of items you want."
Ressler nodded as Cooper handed him his phone.
"I'll arrange a car and be right back," Cooper said.
"Claire?" Liz asked.
"Liz…" Ressler warned her.
"Fine, I'll be 3 feet to your right," Liz smirked at him.
She listened to him call Claire, apologize for the call to her work mid-day. There seemed to be a lot of 'yes' and 'uhs' and apologizing. But once he explained he was kidnapped, Claire seemed more interested in coming over to help him. He told her he needed to go, that his boss was waiting, but made arrangements for Aram to pick up the key from her.
"Your boss?" Liz asked, looking over her shoulder at an empty hallway and chuckling at his obvious lie.
"We haven't dated in over a month and I should have asked for my key back when we parted ways but, I didn't, and now she seems interested in starting something again," Ressler sighed.
"And you aren't?" Liz asked, her heart racing in her chest. She had no idea he was actively dating. Not that he shouldn't be, he was a very good looking and eligible man….
"No, it wasn't working," Ressler said simply.
"Why wasn't it…?" Liz started and then they both turned to see Cooper rounding the corner again.
"Here," he said handing Ressler car keys. "Until you get car and apartment keys back, use this fleet car."
"Thanks sir, we appreciate this," Liz smiled at him.
"Well, hopefully the doctors and tech people can get this figured out and tomorrow you can be more than 4 feet from each other," Cooper smiled at them.
"Yeah," Ressler chuckled. "No offence Liz, but I'm okay having you more than 4 feet away when I pee."
She laughed. The lab had a large wheelchair accessible washroom that meant they both needed to be inside the space when either peed. Right now, the two of them were grateful they hadn't eaten much because neither of them wanted to address a bowel movement.
"And you should both cancel all of your bank and credit cards," Cooper said as he handed them each a new cell phone and firearm. "New work phones and sidearms for you both as well."
They took the phones and guns and thanked him.
Liz took Ressler's hand and they started down the hallway.
Cooper couldn't help but smile at the sight of his two agents walking hand-in-hand so they weren't ever far apart. If anyone else looked at them, they'd seem like a couple heading home for the night. But he knew better.
Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up in front of Agnes' school.
"I'll…" Liz said, opening her door to get out.
"Liz, we both need to go," Ressler reminded her.
"Shit, right," she said, realizing, in her excitement to see Agnes she'd forgotten.
She got out of the back seat, and he got out of the driver's seat, positions they had purposefully chosen because moving around the front or back of the car to get inside it put them at the end of their range.
She took his hand in hers and they walked toward the school.
"What are you going to tell Agnes?" Ressler asked Liz as they approached the school.
"Just that you're coming for a sleepover," Liz said.
He raised and eyebrow, wondering if Liz had other men for sleepovers that Agnes may be used to.
"And this?" He asked, raising their joined hands.
"She won't ask," Liz said.
Ressler nodded, hoping she was right.
They stood with other parents outside the Kindergarten door while Liz introduced him and chatted with the other moms, especially Fern. She simply introduced him as Don and left it at that, but he couldn't help but notice the other moms noting their joined hands and Ressler was pretty sure Liz was going to be the subject of some speculative group chat amongst a bunch of moms later today.
Agnes came out with a group of 4 kids and their teacher. Liz again apologized for the day prior as Agnes jumped into her arms and hugged her tight. Liz caught Ressler's hand and the three of them started to walk back toward the car.
"Honey, Don is going to have a sleepover at our house tonight, okay?" Liz asked Agnes.
"But he's a boy," Agnes said with a furrowed brow. "We've never had a boy sleepover."
Ressler raised an eyebrow. Obviously, Liz had not had men sleep over. Either that or she hid them from Agnes.
"And Don will be the first, isn't that fun?" Liz asked her as she placed her in the car and buckled her in the back.
"I'm really excited I get to stay with you and mum," Ressler said to her.
Agnes smiled at him and nodded.
"Awesome," Ressler smiled back at her.
Liz shut the door on Agnes and took Ressler's hand while they walked around to the driver's side and got inside as well. He drove them to Liz's and they got Agnes up to the apartment. Once inside Agnes ran all over the place playing with the toys she had not seen in a day and Liz and Ressler sat heavily on her sofa and watched.
Ressler took a minute to send Aram Claire's workplace information and a list of a few things he needed; pajamas, some clean jeans and a casual shirt, a dress shirt, tie, and suit as well as his shaving kit and toiletries.
"What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?" He asked with a yawn. It was only 4 and he was exhausted.
"I've got a queen, so you take one side and I'll take the other," Liz said.
He nodded tiredly.
"You look like you could fall asleep now," Liz smiled at him.
"I'm beat," he said, crossing his arms over his chest and dropping his head back on the back of her sofa.
"Take a nap now and if I need to move anywhere, I'll wake you," Liz said as she handed him a throw.
"I'm fine," he yawned.
"Sure, you are," she laughed as she watched him fight to keep his eyes open. Within 5 minutes he was sound asleep and snoring.
"Read me a book!" Agnes called to her mother.
"You get one sweetie and bring it here, and we'll snuggle and read on the couch okay?"
Agnes nodded and grabbed her favorite book about a mischievous cat and snuggled in with her mother on the couch to read.
"Why he make sleeping noises?" Agnes asked as she stared at Ressler.
"Boys tend to do that," Liz explained. "Daddy did too."
"He's like daddy?" Agnes asked. Liz sighed, Agnes had no real memories of Tom. "He's kinda like daddy. Daddy was about the same size as Don but he had brown hair, closer to yours in colour, Don's hair is more red."
Agnes nodded, listening for nuggets of information about her father and men in general. Liz looked over at Don snoring with his mouth open and smiled.
"Don's legs are longer than daddy's," Liz smiled at her daughter and noted the stubble on Ressler's face that was not usually present. "And Don usually doesn't have all that hair on his face, he likes it smooth, but your daddy always had that hair."
"Daddy didn't like smooth?" Agnes asked.
"No baby, daddy liked hair on his face," Liz smiled at her.
"But they make sleeping noises?" Agnes asked.
"It's called snoring," Liz snickered. "And yes, they both snore."
Agnes nodded and then pointed to her book. She snuggled into her mother's lap, and they read not only the cat book but four others before there was a knock at their door. Liz roused Ressler from his slumber and the three of them went to the door to let in Samar.
"My don't you look like the picture," Samar smiled at Liz standing holding Agnes with Ressler at her side.
"Thanks for staying with us, just in case we need you," Liz smiled at her as they let her in. "Especially if you need to drag one of us toward the other or keep Agnes safe."
"No problem," Samar smiled at them. "I hear it's spaghetti night?"
"Agnes, you remember Samar from mommy's work?" Liz asked her.
Agnes nodded.
"She's going to sleep over too," Liz smiled at her and yawned.
"Two people sleepover?!" Agnes asked astonished.
"That's right baby girl," Liz yawned again.
"You look like you need a nap," Samar smiled at Liz.
"I do, we barely slept where we were and it's been a long day being a caged animal and lab rat," Liz said.
"Go take a nap and I can keep an eye on Agnes for an hour," Samar smiled at them.
"Thanks," Liz smiled. "I'll take you up on that."
Ressler nodded his thanks as well as he wiped sleep from his eyes. They set Agnes up with a Princess movie and walked to Liz's bedroom.
"No, this isn't weird at all," Ressler joked as they walked into the room and Liz shut over the door.
"Not at all," Liz chuckled as she pulled back her covers and invited him to get in.
"Maybe I should sleep on top…" he said, uncomfortable.
"Okay ChaChi," Liz chuckled, thinking of the Happy Days episode where Joanie and ChaChi needed to stay in a hotel together.
"I forgot about that one, wasn't it a snowstorm?" Ressler asked.
"Something like that," Liz said as she settled into her side of the bed and fluffed her pillow. "Just come to bed. I promise I won't take advantage of you this time."
He chuckled and nodded, getting under the covers as well finding her bed softer than his own, her covers smelt like her and her pillow was really inviting. Before they hardly spoke a sentence, they were both soundly sleeping, exhausted from the last couple of days.
It wasn't until Aram knocked on the front door an hour later, that they woke, and they both stumbled out of her bedroom with hair everywhere, clothes wrinkled, pillow marks on their faces, and a nap that would help them get through the rest of the night.
"Liz and Ressler were just napping," Samar said with a smirk as she looked toward them.
"Another sleepover person!" Agnes called from her fairy tent in the living room.
"No baby, Aram will probably stay tomorrow night," Liz said with a smile as Aram handed Ressler a bag with his things and his key.
"Thanks," Ressler smiled.
"Claire is…beautiful and so smiley and…she and I sat and had a tea…" Aram explained.
"Of course, you did," Ressler sighed. "I'd like to have a shower before we get supper."
"How about Aram and I get the spaghetti and you two can figure out how you're going to shower and stay less than 4 feet from each other," Samar chuckled.
"And then you're going to tell us, so we can laugh at you both," Aram added.
"Hardy har har," Ressler chuckled annoyed.
"Agnes, are you okay making spaghetti with Aram and Samar?" Liz asked. "I have to help Don with something."
Agnes nodded absently.
"I'll have one too," Liz said as she walked toward her bedroom with him to gather her robe, for him to drop his bag, and for them to go out into the hallway and grab towels.
Ressler was playing with something on his phone, and she looked at him annoyed as they stood in the hallway outside of her washroom.
He held his phone up and it beeped.
"Shit," he said under his breath.
"What?" Liz asked.
He said nothing and took a step closer, so he was right at the threshold of the washroom.
"No," he sighed.
"What?" Lia asked, leaning over him.
"From here to the wall on the other side of your tub is just over five feet," Ressler said. "Which means we both need to be in the washroom for the shower, but not the toilet, thank god. For that we can stand on just the other side of the door."
"So, I don't get to keep you company while you crap, but I do while you shower?" Liz asked.
"Yes," he said with a nod.
"Well, good thing for you I have a shower curtain and not a glass door," she smirked as she pushed him into the washroom and shut the door behind them.
She put the lid down on the toilet and sat down and waited for him to get in the shower, undress, throw it clothes on the floor at her feet, and start the shower. It was weird, being this close to a naked Ressler. As much as a naked Ressler had taken part in some very detailed dreams, this naked Ressler was a legit naked Ressler and that made it weird, especially because he had no idea about those dreams.
"Ready for a quiz?" She called to him from her place.
"Do I have a choice?" He asked as she heard him squeezing a bottle or her shampoo.
"What razor-thin country accounts to more than half of the western coastline of South America? Is it, Ecuador, Chile, Peru or Bolivia?"
She heard him rinsing something.
"Chile," he called back.
She flipped the magazine upside down and checked.
"Right," Liz said.
"You didn't know that?" He asked, noting the pause.
"I thought you were right, but I needed to officially check," Liz smirked.
"Sure you did…" he teased.
"What country has the most natural lakes?" Liz asked him. "Your choices are India, Canada, USA, or Australia."
"Canada," he called back muffled.
"Ding ding, you're right," Liz smiled. "See this is fun and not weird at all that I'm sitting on a toilet and you're naked."
"Yeah, not weird at…"
Just then the door whipped open and Agnes walked inside.
"I have to pee," she said.
"Uh, yeah, sure, Don, Agnes is peeing," Liz said as she helped her daughter get her pants down and hop on the toilet.
Agnes tried to pull back the curtain to see Don in the shower next to her and Liz caught her hand just before she really pulled it back.
"No sweetie, that's private," Liz said to her daughter.
She heard the shower shut off and saw a male arm reach out for a towel.
"We still all out there?" Ressler called.
"Yep," Liz said, waiting still for Agnes to start peeing.
"I thought you had to pee," Liz asked Agnes.
She shrugged.
"Did you just want to come in here and she what was going on?" Liz asked her.
She shrugged.
"Okay peanut," Liz said, picking her up off the toilet and pulling up her pants. "When you really do have to go you come back, okay?"
"Okay," Agnes nodded before she ran out of the washroom and Liz shut the door behind her.
"All clear," Liz called to him.
He pulled back the curtain and stepped out in a towel wrapped around his waist.
"She just wanted to check us out?" Ressler asked.
"Something like that," Liz said as she admired the view.
"Are you showering too or can I go put on some clothes?" Ressler asked her.
"Uh, let me have a quick one," Liz said.
Ressler lowered the lid on the toilet seat and sat down, picking up the magazine as she stepped into the shower, drew the curtain across and then threw her clothes into the corner.
The shower started and he swallowed hard and tried to regulate his breathing because the images coming to his mind right now were activating the lower half of his body and causing beads of sweat to form along his hairline.
"What is the only sea without any coasts?" Ressler asked her, hoping this would get his mind out of it's current place in the gutter. "Celebes, Sargasso, Mediterranean, or Adriatic."
"It's not Mediterranean because Greece alone has a ton of coastal water, or the Adriatic because that's in Croatia and that's coast. You know I once read a book called Wide Sargasso Sea that was like a prequel to Jane Eyre, which is one of my favorite books, anyways…."
"Are you getting to an answer at some point?" He asked, tiredly.
"Anyways, what I was going to say, until I was interrupted," Liz said as she squeezed out shampoo into her hand. "Was I was going to pick Sargasso because of that book and not because I have any geographic knowledge at all."
He chuckled and checked the answer.
"You're right," he said. "But how can it be a sea and not have a coast? That seems weird."
He took out his phone while he listened to her splashing and tried to not think of the body parts she was touching while she was splashing.
"It says here that it's in the middle of the North Atlantic and surrounded by ocean currents and not land…huh," Ressler said reading off his phone.
"See, it's important to be literate," Liz called to him.
"Why's Jane Eyre one of your favorite books?" He asked, curious.
"Because Jane is horribly mistreated by many people in her life but she never gives up on herself, in fact her marrying Mr. Darcy was considered the norm at the time and the only fitting end to the book but I sense, if it was written now she wouldn't have accepted his proposal and would have taken off to be part of an artist commune in Morocco or something." Liz said.
"So you like the book not for what it is, but what it could be in more modern times?" Ressler asked her, astounded.
"I like it's potential," Liz said before the door opened again and Ressler jumped up off the toilet.
"Agnes," he said surprised.
"I have to pee," she said.
"Liz…" he called.
Liz poked her head out and looked at a terrified Ressler standing in a towel with his back up against the washroom wall and a little girl dancing around that needed to pee.
"Samar!" Liz called to her as she shut off the water.
Samar ran into the washroom and saw Ressler standing in a towel and Agnes unsuccessfully trying to undo her pants.
"Here honey," Samar said as she undid Agnes' pants and plunked her on the toilet. She started to pee immediately.
"Towel," Liz called to Ressler.
He reached for a towel and handed it to her inside the shower brushing against some of her wet naked skin as he did and trying not to think about which body part it was, or how he was now standing in only a towel with two women and a little girl within 3 feet of him…
Liz pulled back the curtain with a towel wrapped around her and stepped out with her wet hair dripping down her back.
"I've got her Samar," Liz said as she stepped toward her daughter.
Samar nodded and stepped out of the room.
Liz helped Agnes with her pants while Ressler studied the floral print on the wall, helped her wash her hands and ushered her out of the small space.
She turned and looked at Ressler, the two of them standing closely in nothing but towels in the steamy washroom.
"Yeah, this isn't weird at all," she smiled at him.
He started to laugh loudly at her joke, and she joined his laughter with her own a moment later.
To be continued…
