Come to Bed
Author's Note: For Week 2 prompt for Febressuary 2022 "Come to bed". Just something short and keenler.
Let me know your thoughts.
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"Babe," Liz called to him as he sat in the light of his computer screen in the living room. "Come to bed."
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Ressler asked from his spot at their dining room table.
"Your absence woke me," Liz said as she walked toward him.
She snaked her arms around his neck and leaned in to look at his screen.
"This creep," Ressler said, shaking his head and placing a hand over one of hers as they looked at a series of messages through a children's video game from a man trying to get a young girl to send him pictures. Luckily, the girl had informed her parents of his behaviour and they now had evidence. "If this was Agnes…"
"I know," Liz swallowed hard and placed her chin on the top of his head. "But you not sleeping is not going to make you more effective tomorrow."
He sighed and wiped at his face.
"He's out there still," he said softly.
"I know babe," Liz sighed with him. "We'll get him."
He dropped his head to her hands resting in the centre of his collarbone and kissed one softly.
"Come on," she said as she pulled at him.
He took a deep beath and rose with her, shutting down his laptop and turning in her arms.
"I've only been her dad for a year," Ressler said as he held her close. "How do you do your job and not get scared for her every single day?"
Liz kissed the side of his face.
"You protect your child and try your best to protect every other child out there," Liz said.
He chuckled sadly. "There are predators popping out of the woodwork every single day."
"You are a great dad," Liz said. "And a wonderful human being, and your heart is in the right place."
Ressler sighed and took her by the hand to walk with her to their bedroom.
They walked into their dark room and crawled into bed together. They lay on their sides with his body spooning hers from behind and his arms wrapped around her midsection. She settled back into his frame and sighed.
"I know you're thinking about kids like Agnes and the pervs out there trying to trick them," Liz said. "But if you obsess about it, you won't accomplish anything or save any kids. You need a clear head, rest, and objectivity. There's an entire department in the Bureau devoted to catching these guys and we're going to catch this one. We are babe."
He nodded against her and kissed the back of her head.
"We will," Ressler said softly. "And he'd going to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life. But we need to do more, Liz."
"More?" Liz asked, turning her head slightly and looking over her shoulder.
"Liz, I looked into it," Ressler said. "And there's a volunteer program for Bureau employees to help with cases like these because they are overwhelming the system. I'd like to…"
She squeezed his hand and nodded.
"I think that's a great idea babe," Liz said softly.
"Good," he said softly. "I need to do this for all the Agnes' that don't have a mom like you or a dad like me looking out for them."
Liz smiled in the dark. He said he'd only been her dad for a year, that's how long they'd been married, but they had been together for a year before that. Agnes saw Ressler as her dad long before they walked down the aisle. And he loved her, but his commitment to her seemed to have grown since they married, he felt a great responsibility toward their daughter that made Liz happy. It made her feel like Agnes was safer than ever before because not only was she protecting her, but Ressler was as well. They were all protecting each other.
The end.