Ressler was sitting in his little office, all the time glad that he was alone and Keens chair on the opposite empty. He did not know what exactly had happened today.
They had chased this murderer, this cannibal and trader for human flesh for a longer period of time. It had been a hint from Reddington to search for him in this factory hall. He leaned back in his chair, his aching back protested when staying in one position too long. He looked down onto his hands – they were still shivering. He should have listened to the feeling in his gut, the feeling that almost never disappointed him. Reddingtons hints had been clear enough, there was an online trading platform for flesh and organs. It could not have been a single perpetrator. But when they entered the fabric through the backdoor and slowly made their way through the corridors into the big cooling hall, he almost threw up. He saw again how Keen let down her guard, let sink her gun when she looked onto the horror before them.
Infront of them arose a scenario that would have done honor to a horror movie. He had tried to stop her, before she threw a look into one of the many containers. She had mumbled his name, when she looked into it and he had made his mistake. He had walked over to her, gun down and looked into the first container. Hearts. Human hearts. Next to it a container whose contents reminded him of beef liver.

He shifted again, now observing the cuts on his already swollen hands. Hell had broken lose after that. There had been no way only one person could have done all this and he had ignored this fact. And Keen… she had payed the price for his mistake by beeing surrounded by several men. And he had lost his control. He was a federal agent. A good one of that. He knew the protocol exactly. And he had ignored the protocol because of Liz and risked the success of the whole mission. The very same Liz who was now in Coopers office to report what had happened today in this factory hall of horror.

He took out the FBI badge and played with it in between his fingers, lost in thought. He was prepared to hand it over to Cooper along with his gun for a few days of suspension. But there was no way he would explain to his superior why he had thrown himself in between those men to rescue his colleague. He would say something about the exceptionality of this case and about the horror he had felt at the thought of one of them becoming the victim of a smuggler for human flesh. Never would he confess what he had admitted to himself at that moment. That he was hopelessly in love with Elizabeth Keen. But to be honest, Cooper had to be blind to not see it. Everyone had to be blind. Sure, everyone knew their relationship was special. They were good partners, close to friends, close to caring for each other – but love? That was different. Especially with everything that had happened in her life the last year. She had shot her own husband! Had been chased by him! And now he was sitting here like a teenager in love for the first time of his life?
He sighed inwardly, when he heard the deep voice behind him: "Agent Ressler?" It was Cooper. Slowly he turned around in his chair. "Sir?", he asked slowly. "Shall I come to your office?" For a moment Donald wondered why he had not sent Liz to call him upstairs.
"That's not necessary. Agent Keen already gave me an… accurate description of your assignment today. First I was surprised, but now…", his boss made a pause. A pause he used to look outside of the little window into the rest of the bureau. Ressler followed his gaze until it rested on Liz chatting with Aram.
"She is special.", Coopers voice was soft now. So he knew. He knew exactly what she meant to him. "I am glad she has you as a partner. An experienced partner who looks out for her and can make up for her mistakes. Don't be to harsh with her, Donald."
"Harsh, Sir?", Don asked, now irritated by the words of Harold Cooper.
"I know she has put you both in a dangerous situation today. So don't be harsh. I already instructed Aram and Samar to invite her for a drink. Go out with them Donald.", Coopers gaze wandered down to the badge in his swollen hands, "the situation today took it's toll on you, too." With that Cooper left his office. But Ressler didn't move from his place for the next hour. Elizabeth Keen had protected him again by lying.

"So now you guys tell me… what was the craziest case you had in your life as a FBI agent?", Aram asked excited, playing with his cocktail glass in his hands. "You know what I mean? Something you have to talk about, but nobody would believe it `cause it`s so crazy?" His normally stiff speech had changed with the three cocktails. Ressler carefully looked over to Liz Keen next to him at the table. Samar had left an hour ago, so it was now down to the three of them, sitting at the bar. Liz was pinching the label of her beer bottle and he knew her truthful answer would be the same one he had to give. Today. The craziest case in his career had been today.
"You know every case with Raymond Reddington is special and crazy?", he answered quickly, before Liz would have to repeat the story of today again. Difficult enough she had to tell it Cooper this afternoon. He watched anxiously how the corners of her mouth shifted and a little giggle escaped her. "You know Aram I only know those cases with Red?", she grinned now and Ressler felt a little warmth in his chest. He had managed to distract her.
"What?", Aram asked in disbelief and she nodded. "I came directly from the academy to the blacksite. It was my first day. Ressler recalled how upset he had been that Liz Keen, the career starter, was now indispensable to him and his work with Raymond Reddington. He laughed silently before taking another sip of his whiskey. "What?", Keen asked, looking over to him, grinning.
"I just remembered how angry I was. I even suspected you of being in cahoots with Raymond Reddington." She looked deep into his eyes and he had to swallow, his grin disappearing from his face. "You did?", Aram asked in disbelief. Liz brown eyes still rested on his. He took another gulp of his liquid. "Yeah I did… look I'm not proud of it and…", he began but was interrupted by Liz loud laughter. "What? Now you are laughing at me? I chased Reddington for years and…." He was interrupted by Arams phone, ringing in the pocket of his jacket. He quickly caught a gaze on the display. Samar? No – he must have made a mistake, he thought to himself when Aram spoke quietly into the phone. He exchanged a brief glance with his partner to his left. Aram ended the phone call and turned back around to them. "Sorry guys I have to go.", he said and emptied his glass. "Have fun you two and get another drink. It's on me." Before one of them could answer, Aram had left a few banknotes on the table and left.
"So now that's a surprise.", Liz said after a moment. He turned to her, now sitting sideways on his chair. "You know Samar called him?", Liz said after he did not answer. He felt how his eyebrows moved upwards: "Thought I had seen that too. Thought I was mistaken…" He absently loosened the tie around his neck. Liz snickered next to him at that. "So irritated Ressler? Or jealous?"
"Huh?", he made, turning the glass in his hands. He was irritated – he was not used to overlook things like that. "Irritated? Maybe. Jealous? Definitely not. There is nothing to be jealous about." He looked into her eyes. There was only one woman in the whole city who could make him
"Samar is an attractive woman", Liz glanced over to him, now turning in her chair, too.
"Not my type.", he answered shortly. Finally he offered enlightening the mood: "I don't want to be afraid when I have sex with someone, you know." Now she was no longer curious, but giggled to herself. "Donald Ressler is into flower sex?", she sounded surprised.
"I did not say that.", he was now grinning too and finished his whiskey. "What about that drink Aram offered? Or do you want to go home?" She still giggled at their conversation: "One more drink it is! Maybe I can find out more about the sexlife of Agent Ressler!" He held up both his hands: "Your wish is my command." He waited for her order and stood up, already feeling the alcohol getting the better of him.
"Surprise me", she smiled and he smirked, "nothing easier than that."

They stayed in that bar for three more drinks and a midnight snack, before they finally decided to take their leave. Liz was silently giggling when they exited the bar, shivering slightly in the cold: "Cooper will kill us tomorrow…".
He smirked: "Naaa… he said he ordered Aram and Samar to go out for a few drinks with us. And he said to me not to let you go alone. We`re safe. But maybe we should say they better get out of the way at shooting practice tomorrow." She laughed again. It was easy to make her laugh, Ressler had been surprised. He knew her from work, from some official occasions and had known she was a happy woman. But it was so easy to talk to her he hadn't even noticed how much time they had spent in that bar.
"Come on now Keen, I will walk you home.", he knew the motel she was living at was not far away. "Order from Cooper, too?", she raised her eyebrows at him. "Not directly", he grinned, "but he said something like… look out for her."
She smiled back: "Always the knight in shining armor, Mr. Ressler."
"Not for everyone, Ms. Keen.", he answered and put his hand on her lower back to guide her into the first steps down the street. They were walking in comfortable silence for a few minutes, before she decided to pick up the conversation again: "So we are safe… and for shooting practice…", she swayed lightly next to him, "you know we could blackmail Aram and Samar?"
"Aram, yes. Samar… no way.", he answered. She laughed again and gave him a pat on the shoulder: "Forgot you're afraid of Miss Navabi."
"That's how it is…", he murmured, too irritated by her touch. Her expression changed in a split second. "Liz?", he asked, noting in passing that this was the first time he had addressed her only by her first name.
"Never thought there would be something you are afraid of…", she murmured and looked deep into his eyes, bumping slightly into his side while looking up to his face. He was surprised and wanted to answer, but she cut off his words, "you know…today… in that cold storage hall… I was horrified."
"I was too.", he answered simply, "those containers… there where about fifty hearts in this first one. Fifty human beings…"
They reached the parking lot of the motel, but she continued to walk over it to the apartments. He followed.
"Do you have anyone to talk to about those things? You know what I mean, what Aram asked earlier… there is nobody I can talk to…about such things… not even Tom…", she began. Donald quickly cleared his mind, she was drunk, she wouldn't talk like that if she wasn't. But he was too, so he answered honestly: "No, there is nobody I talk to about those things…", after a pause he added, not sure how to phrase his question "when… you were still married to Tom…"
"No.", she answered immediately, "I never spoke to Tom about work. Never. Not even after the stewmaker."
Now they stood in front of her room and she turned to look at him, her back to the door. "I came home that night, exhausted, and he only told me he had cooked dinner and thrown it into trash, because I wasn't at home on time. He did not even ask how my day was, why I was late. So I said I wanted to take a shower… I think I showered for an hour at least.", She smiled up to him sadly, standing close in front of him.
"The stewmaker…", he began, feeling his anger rising in him. He made a little step towards her, before stopping himself. "You held me after rescuing me.", she remembered loudly. And he remembered too, how she had been that weak from her torture, how she had cried in his arms and clang to his shoulders. Her eyes were big, tears shimmering in it, when she looked up at his face: "Don…", her voice was hoarse, her whispering sending a shiver down his spine, "please… hold me again."
Donald wasn't sure how she got into his arms, if he stepped up to her, reaching for her or if it was her pressing herself against his chest first, but he held her next to his body and next to his fast beating heart. One of his arms came around her hip, the other hand rested at the back of her head, driving through her hair. The alcohol let him lose the last of his restraints and he whispered slowly, his lips at her hair: "I am afraid of one thing, Liz. And I was afraid of that thing today, too."
"What thing?", she mumbled against his neck and he felt the goose bumps spreading from there. He tightened his embrace around her and took a deep breath. Sober he would never have answered her question, but now it was as if his lips were moving without his doing.
"Loosing you.", his voice was husky. For one moment he hoped that his answer had been to quiet, but she stiffened at his touch. She heard.
"Loosing … what?", she asked leaning back in his arms and he let her go, afraid he had said to much. She stayed in his reach, her right hand still resting on his hip and all he could focus on was her. Her hand, her eyes, her face, her lips…dammit her lips. He couldn't answer.
"Tell me Donald.", she whispered, looking up to him with pleading eyes.
"I care for your wellbeing, Liz. I don't want you to get hurt, not from Reddington, not from Tom, not from one of this crazy cases and criminals. That is the thing I am afraid of…", he replied quietly, all the time expecting her to back down with his words. But Liz Keen did exactly the opposite of what he expected. Instead of leaving him out there in the cold, she took a tiny hesitant step back into his direction. He felt his breath stop before events and emotions overtook him. After this first hesitant step, Liz took another one towards him and he felt her lips on his, uncertain yet demanding at the same time. And he, stupid as he was, was too surprised to return her kiss. She backed away, cheeks lightly pink and stammered: "Sorry, Ressler. Sorry I shouldn't have…"
It was only then his mind screamed at him to do something. He closed the gap between them by leaning over to her and pulling her to him with his hand at her neck at the same time. Their lips met and their kiss was hungry and passionate. Her hands were under his coat, slightly tugging at his jacket underneath it and her body molted against his. Her hands wandered to his back, while his hand cradled her neck, tilting her head a little bit more to the side to deepen their kiss. She was everything that existed at the moment, everything that mattered. His lower bodyparts registered her closeness, too and he slowed down the kiss, before there was no turning back. His heart pounded heavily in his chest when he pulled back and looked into her face. She was beautiful. He swallowed and touched her face carefully.
"Liz…", he began, but didn't know how to continue.
"Donald?", she smiled sadly.
"I… I don't know, we are drunk and…"
"I understand Donald.", the sadness in her eyes grew, when she interrupted his mumbling, "just let me say thank you."
"Thank you for what?", he asked surprised.
"Thank you for rescuing me today. Without you… my heart… would have been in that container. Thank you for letting me feeling this…" He waited for a few seconds before he answered, confused: "Liz I don't want that to be a drunk thank you… this feeling shouldn't be because of a thank you." He was hurt. That she just kissed him, for a thank you, after he told her…
"This kiss wasn't a thank you.", her face came closer to his again, "I thanked you by lying to Cooper this afternoon."
"Then we are even.", he whispered, "except it's worth more saving someone from suspension, than saving someones live."
She smiled widely, amused by his thoughts: "Clearly." And then her lips where on his again, one time, two times, three times. Showering his lips with little, chaste kisses. The longing in him clenched in his chest, when he cupped her face with both hands.
"Liz", he was close to moaning now, "you don't know what you are doing… I want to make this right, you know?"
Now it was him, closing the distance to her, pressing his lips against her forehead before he leaned back again. "Bring you home, so you are safe, not take you to bed and take advantage of you."
"I have no problem with you taking advantage of me.", her gaze was sincere.
"You are drunk", he stated a fact.
"You too", she answered. For a few seconds neither of them spoke, before she said: "Maybe I am drunk, Donald… we are drunk. But tonight we are brave enough to be honest to each other …" He looked into her eyes, thoughts running in his mind. He longed for this. He had longed for this for a long time now… what was wrong with giving in to his desire? Even if it would be just for this one time?
She turned around and opened the door to the little apartment. "It's your decision."
Ressler exhaled loudly, before he gave himself a jerk and followed her through the door. Every minute with Liz Keen was worth the trouble.
He closed the door behind her with a quiet thud and she turned around to him, her face glowing with emotions. He had made his decision. So he did not hesitate when he walked up to her and took her in his arms again, before he kissed her. And she, too, lost no more time – and he understood for the first time, that she needed this just like him. Since he had chased her, the Russian terrorist, he had known exactly that Elizabeth Keen was not only his partner. Maybe it had been the same for her.
In seconds their coats fell to the floor, his tie followed and his shirt was unbuttoned. They tumbled backwards until he felt the cold door in his back. Her hands evenly cold where on his bare chest, sending shivers down his spine and he slowly made his way under her blouse and pulled it over her head. He slowed down again, marveling the curves of her upper body with his fingertips and his eyes.
"I want this…"she whispered, "I want you, Don."
His face crashed down onto hers and he turned them around to push her against the door with her back. He pressed her arms against the door next to her head and his knee between her thighs. She groaned against his lips, when he gave her a little break, before she kissed him back, her tongue dueling with his own. He felt her arching her back to him, so her lower body was pressed against his manhood. He gasped for air, feeling her biting his lip. He let go off her arms and stroked down the side of her body to undo her bra and continuing his way downwards to stop at her butt. He lifted her up, her arms resting around his neck and carried her over to bed, where he laid down on top of her and kissed her senseless. When he cupped her breast, she dug her fingernails into his back.
There was no doubt – Liz was a wildcat in bed.