Perp-Loving Cop-Hater 3
Author's Note: The third installment. We're still not at the wedding yet...
Let me know what you think!
WWWWWWWW
Liz had swallowed back some ibuprofen and Gatorade, eaten some toast and was starting to feel more herself when Ressler, who had been absent for most of her time in the kitchen with his various family members, sat down next to her.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he snatched a piece of bacon off the tray at the centre of the table.
"She needs to drink more coffee," Moira said as she placed a cup in front of Liz. "I didn't realize you were such a light weight."
Liz smiled and gratefully took the coffee as the two six-year-olds ran past her singing.
"Maybe you need something quieter," Ressler suggested as he reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a mug as well.
"When's the wedding?" Liz asked.
"Six," Ressler said. "You'll be fine by then."
The back door opened and Lisa, his mom, walked into the kitchen to be attacked by a couple of more kids that Liz wasn't sure were staying in the house also.
"See you at noon?" Lisa asked Ressler.
"I was just getting to that," he said as he nodded to Liz.
Lisa nodded and walked into the living room.
"You can say no," he said as he placed an arm around the back of her chair and leaned in. "But it's only going to get louder here as the day goes on."
She looked at him perplexed.
"I have two of my cousin's bikes, and I thought we could ride into downtown and have lunch with my parents," Ressler said. "It's about 7 miles."
Liz took a long drink of her coffee and a baby started to wail in another room.
"It would be a hell of a lot more quiet," he said. "We can take our time, there's a waterfall downtown and a walking trail…"
The wails reached a fever pitch.
Liz nodded. "I need to shower so I feel human again, but I can do a nice slow ride into town."
He smiled at her.
"I'll get the water bottles and a pack ready, and I'll see you in…?"
"Give me 30 minutes," Liz said. "Pending a free shower."
He got up and kissed her on the top of her head before he left the room. It took a few moments for Liz to register the kiss; were they the people that now kissed each other when parting ways? She snickered when she thought about the look that would be on Aram's face if, when Ressler was ordered into the field and she needed to stay back they walked up to each other and had a quick kiss. Aram would lose his shit.
Moira saddled up next to her and handed her three tablets.
"What are these?" Liz asked.
"Vitamin D, Zinc, and Naproxen with Caffeine," she said. "Works like a charm with some carbs."
"Thanks," Liz smiled at her and downed the pills.
"Fresh air and exercise will sweat it out of you too, Donnie's got that right," she smiled at Liz. "You'll be right as rain and ready to go again at the wedding tonight!"
"I'm not touching any alcohol tonight," Liz chuckled.
"The all say that," Moira chuckled before she got up and left her to her toast.
Liz showered and changed and went to find Ressler downstairs. He was sitting on a porch swing talking with the two six-year-olds, who looked like mini female Resslers, and Liz took a moment to just watch him before she let him know she was there. He was telling them jokes it seemed, because both girls were in stitches and he was giggling along with them as they swung back and forth, his long legs keeping the porch swing going. He then made a roaring noise and the girls screamed and jumped on him, hitting him with their little fists until he emerged from their attack and picked them both up, one under each arm, and started to carry them toward a sand box.
"I'll just be a second," he said when he noticed Liz smiling at him.
The girls screamed and laughed the entire way and he carefully dumped them in the sandbox to fits of giggles before he told them he had to go.
Liz could hear their laughter all the way across the yard as he walked toward her.
"They really like you," Liz said when he got closer.
"What's not to like?" Ressler said with a smirk and a bit of a swagger.
Liz swatted at him, and he showed her where the bikes were. They got on and started down the road into town. There was little traffic, so they rode side by side, talking as they went. Ressler telling her that the last time he was here was years ago, but it didn't look like much had changed.
"You're great with kids," Liz said as she looked at him.
"You're surprised?" He asked.
"I guess I only really see you at work, or with other adults," Liz said.
He nodded.
"You should spend more time with me and Agnes," Liz said.
He took a moment to answer but his smile was swift. "I'd like that."
She smiled back.
They rode in silence for a while longer. The ride was a leisurely pace, he didn't want to make her headache worse, but knew exercise and fresh air had always helped him when he'd overindulged.
"How's your head?" He asked.
"Better," Liz said. "Moira gave me some vitamins and drugs and this ride is…nice."
"So, you get naked when drunk?" Ressler clarified.
"It's a weird thing, I know," Liz said embarrassed.
"Well, it's better than pissing yourself," Ressler said. "My uncle Craig does that."
Liz laughed, happy he had made light of her idiocy.
"What do you do drunk?" Liz asked him.
"I don't get drunk," Ressler smirked. "I've got a high tolerance."
"You must have been drunk at some point!" Liz said. "When you were younger…"
Ressler chuckled quietly to himself.
"Well?" She asked.
He smirked at her and shook his head.
"Hey, you know about my drunk nudity! The least…"
"I get flirty and kinda handsy…" Ressler admitted.
"Really?" She asked.
"Usually, I wake up in someone's bed," Ressler admitted. "I'm not proud of…"
"No, I get it," Liz smirked. "And how long has it been since you were drunk?"
Ressler thought for a moment.
"I'm thinking my 30th birthday…" Ressler said, trying to remember. "Yeah, I think that's the last time."
"And you woke up in someone's bed?" Liz asked.
Ressler nodded, embarrassed.
"And you don't remember what happened?"
"Sadly, I remember every drunk detail," Ressler laughed. "The whole night."
"And?" Liz asked.
"And Audrey had just dumped me," Ressler said.
"So, you didn't cheat on her?" Liz asked.
"God no," Ressler said.
He sighed, knowing she needed more information and that she was probably entitled to it.
"She was a friend's newly-divorced sister," Ressler sighed. "She jumped on the chance to come along when she heard I wasn't with Audrey anymore and, I think, kind of took advantage of the situation. Not that I wasn't responsible for…anyways, it was her. And, it didn't go well the next day when she thought she was my new girlfriend and my friend found out I had slept with his sister."
"Shit," Liz said.
"Yeah," Ressler nodded in agreement.
"So, it's a good thing I have a high tolerance for alcohol, so I don't wake up with strange women," Ressler joked.
Liz bit her lip, she wanted to ask but wasn't sure it was her place to ask.
"How long has it been?" Liz asked him.
He looked at her confused, thinking she was still talking about his 30th, which was a simple math equation.
"Since…" Liz nodded.
"Oh," he said, cluing in. "Uh, almost a year."
Liz nodded.
"You?" He asked.
"Tom," she said as she swallowed hard.
He nodded.
They rode in silence for a while.
"Well, I'm glad I know you are a slutty drunk," Liz chuckled.
"I didn't say slutty," Ressler corrected her as he laughed, glad things weren't serious any more.
"Oh, you're a drunk slut," Liz smirked at him. "Own it."
He smiled at peddled a little faster to get in front of her when he noticed a car coming up behind them.
She watched him sit back after the car passed and he called over his shoulder.
"I'll stay in front, there will be more traffic soon," Ressler said.
She nodded and they continued into town single file.
Idaho Falls had a population of only 60 000 but was the hub for nearby towns so it had many amenities, restaurants, and shops for a smallish town. They had some time before they were meeting his parents and Ressler took her to the falls at the centre of town. They locked up their bikes and walked along the path beside the river and toward the falls.
"This is beautiful," Liz said as she looked around.
"Yeah, I've never played tourist here," Ressler said. "The only time I've come into town was to go to a bar or pick up something."
"Where's the wedding?" Liz asked as they continued to walk.
"There's a golf club Kevin belongs to," Ressler said. "It's not far from my aunt's house."
Ressler pulled 2 Gatorades from his backpack and handed her one.
"Oh my god, thanks," Liz smiled at him.
He smiled at her and then opened his own bottle. They drank and walked.
"Where are they going on their honeymoon?" Liz asked.
"No clue," Ressler said as he wiped at his mouth. "Knowing Kevin, probably something in the States."
"Why would you say that?" Liz asked him.
"I don't think he's ever left the country," Ressler said. "I can't see him taking his first trip outside of the USA on his honeymoon. Especially…uh, Milly doesn't exactly look like a world traveller."
Liz chuckled. "Do you think she's Amish?"
"That's what I was thinking!" Ressler laughed. "With the long skirts and the baggy sweaters…"
"She seems religious," Liz said. "Doesn't drink, works with old people, all her games were tame…"
"Not the one I found you playing at the end of the night…" Ressler smirked before he took another drink.
"That was Moira's doing…your mom may have been there too," Liz winced.
"Yeah, she was there at the end, I'm not sure how long she was there before hand," Ressler said, wincing as well.
"There were a lot of personal questions," Liz said. "As part of the game…"
"Moira said she knows about the scar on my thigh," Ressler said. "Are you sure this was a real game and not them just trying to pump you for information?"
"Sorry," Liz said as she covered her eyes. "I think I said a few things…"
"Like?" Ressler asked.
"Things I'm not going to repeat because they are embarrassing," Liz said as she peaked out from behind her hands.
"Come on, how embarrassing? More than the scar?" Ressler asked, knowing she either knew about the scar from their encounter in the washroom or a couple of previous cases where she had seen him either in his underwear or a hospital gown.
"Let's not go there," Liz said as she pulled on his arm and guided him toward what looked like a Japanese temple on an island. "Let's go here, instead."
Ressler allowed himself to be dragged but wasn't done probing for more information. His mother had hinted this morning when he dropped in to visit them, that last night made her like Liz even more. She wouldn't say more but he was hoping to find out what Liz did to make his mom say that.
"This is gorgeous," he said as they walked onto the island. The place looked like it had been lifted right out of Japan.
"You spent some time in Japan, is this authentic of the Disney version?" Liz chuckled.
"This looks very authentic," Ressler said as she studied the lines of the structure and the ponds with fish. "It's amazing."
"Did you like Japan?" Liz asked him.
"I loved what I saw of it," he answered. "I still hope to go back as a visitor and see more. I was mainly in Tokyo, Osaka, and Niigata. I wished I saw more of the country."
Liz looked at him looking around at the beautiful space they were in.
"What did you like about Japan?" She asked.
He leaned against a railing and looked down at the fish swimming below.
"I liked the simplicity," he said. "Tokyo was…crazy, but there were whole pockets of it that were quiet, open, natural and you didn't even notice the huge city around you. They do a lot of things in wood, nothing more than is needed, they think about the beauty of objects as well as the usefulness."
Liz looked at his profile; her heart pounding in her chest. He was gorgeous, and he was her pocket of quiet and natural that allowed her to forget about the shit storm that was her life most days. He was her Japan, and he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen in that moment as he spoke about his love of that country.
Liz leaned in and tentatively started to kiss his lips. His head turned, surprised but also interested as he stood up and pulled her against him. Their kiss was exploratory, each of them enjoying the moment, no one rushing, no one trying to intensify. They were Japan, at peace and in the moment. Their moment went on for several minutes until they heard a family approaching and both pulled back and just stood looking at each other, their arms around each other.
"Liz," he sighed as he looked at her.
"You're my Japan," she said quietly. "My calm in the storm."
He furrowed his brow.
"You feel like you're in a storm?" He asked.
She nodded and her eyes got watery. "Many days, yes."
He pulled her against him in a tight hug.
"I thought…I didn't know…" he said quietly.
"I don't feel that way when I'm with you," she admitted. "It's just a lot sometimes with Reddington, Agnes, our job…"
He rubbed her back and sighed. "What can I do to help?"
She smiled against his shoulder. "Just asking that helps."
He pulled her against him a little tighter and then released her and pulled back, looking at her, the family a few feet away ignored.
"In the game last night," Liz sighed.
Ressler looked at her confused.
"I got the cue: A man's best features."
He furrowed his brow and saw a blush start to rise on her cheeks.
"And I said, 'his blue eyes, his strong arms, and his tight ass."
He started to smirk.
"It was supposed to be about men in general…and all I could think of was you."
"Liz…" he started and then stopped when she started to lean in again and he pulled her against him in an intense kiss that was broken by his phone ringing in his backpack.
They pulled apart and he got out his phone and looked at his watch. They were late.
"Yeah, ma," he said as he started to walk back towards their bikes with Liz at his side. "We'll be there in 10. We just stopped to see the waterfall and walked farther than we realized."
Liz smirked at him lying to his mother.
"Okay, yes, patio is good," Ressler said as they walked quickly. "See you soon."
"We're late," Ressler said to Liz as he looked cautiously at her. They had kissed not once, but twice in the span of a half hour and he wasn't sure how she felt about that.
"We walked too far?" Liz asked as they reached their bikes and he started to undo the lock.
"Want me to tell my mother we were making out in a Japanese garden?" Ressler chuckled as he undid the lock and put the chain in his backpack.
"I think your mother suspects something like that already," Liz chuckled as she got on her bike.
"Why would she suspect that?" He asked as he got on his bike.
Liz started to blush again.
"In the game I got: Men's Underwear…"
"And?" Ressler asked, thinking the question was very straight forward.
"I said boxers, tighty whiteys, and…"
"And?" Ressler asked, starting to worry.
"And I said, 'those kind he wears that are fitted but go down the leg'," Liz said, embarrassed.
Ressler smiled at her embarrassment. "Boxer briefs."
"I think you mom clarified that one," Liz said, her face going even more pink. "Anyways, between me being too drunk to censor myself, they now know about your scar, your underpants, and what I think is most attractive about you. So, I am sure they all think that we are sleeping together."
Ressler got ready to start peddling.
"Moira caught me coming out of the washroom while you were in it with the shower on," Ressler finally admitted to her before he started to peddle away.
"What?!" Liz snapped as they started to peddle and she chased after him.
"So, when I heard you say one of the best places to have sex was the shower…I'm sure she was thinking…"
"What did you tell her?" Liz asked as they crossed a bridge.
"At the time?" Ressler asked. "I told her…I wasn't thinking…"
"What did you say?" Liz insisted with a chuckle as she saw his neck go red.
"I said we overlapped showers," Ressler said.
"And what did she say?" Liz asked, amused at his explanation.
"She said that's how you get twins," Ressler chuckled thinking of Moira's twin girls.
"Oh my god," Liz laughed.
"Sorry, I was panicking," Ressler said.
"Aren't you usually really good at thinking on your toes?"
"At work," Ressler clarified. "In my personal life? I'm usually tongue-tied."
Liz laughed and followed him toward a restaurant and spotted his parents on the patio.
They locked their bikes and joined them in the shade of the awning.
"When Donnie told me you were going to ride in, I thought he was nuts," Lisa said as they sat down. "But he was right, you look better. Kind of glowing."
Ressler's face turned beat red, and he lifted the menu up to hide it.
"I needed the fresh air," Liz said as she hid her smile. "Beautiful place here."
"Yes, we like visiting them," Maurice said. "Nice country here."
"Where else have you two visited?" Liz asked as they waiter brought them waters.
"Don't get them started," Ressler said with a smirk. "My parents have been everywhere."
"We've been to most states," Lisa said. "Except New Mexico, Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana…we were supposed to go there but Katrina hit, and we've never got back since."
"Alaska and Hawaii," Maurice added. "And which of the Dakota's?"
"South," Lisa said.
"Oh, Rhode Island," Lisa said. "I'm sure there are more…we don't count the ones we just drive through. We need to stay two nights for it to count."
"So, there are rules?" Liz asked as she glanced at the menu looking for carbs as Moira suggested.
"Only that we need to drive through a significant portion of the state and stay two nights," Maurice said as a beer was placed in front of him and Ressler. "None of this skirting through on an edge and counting it."
"Thanks for the beer," Ressler said as he lifted his bottle and clinked it with Maurice.
"I knew you'd want one, son," Maurice said with a smile.
"I ordered you sparking water dear," Lisa said as she patted Liz's hand. "Unless you want some wine…"
"No!" Liz said quickly. "I'm good."
"You had a lot of fun last night," Lisa said. "I was inside after the newlywed game…watched Dancing with the Stars with Patty to calm her down. My sister-in-law is a little tightly wound."
"You think?" Ressler chuckled as he folded his menu.
"She's got a lot on her plate Donnie," Lisa said. "Milly's family is…not pleased."
Ressler and Liz both knitted their eyebrows.
"Milly's parents wanted her to marry the boy from the farm kitty corner to them and…"
"And it's not the 17th century?" Ressler asked, surprised.
"I know that, but her family is…they're country folk from way back…sort of backwards…" Lisa explained.
"Are they Amish?" Liz asked.
"No," Lisa said.
"Huh," Liz and Ressler said at the same time and looked at each other and smiled.
"So, she's pregnant," Lisa said.
"What?!" Liz and Ressler again said at the same time.
"I know right?" Maurice said.
"It was the only way that her parents would agree," Lisa said. "Which sounds so backwards to say, but the girl didn't want to lose her family."
"So, this was planned?" Ressler asked.
"Very much so," Lisa nodded. "To think in this day and age that a woman needs to get knocked up to marry the man she wants to."
Ressler cleared his throat and Liz's eyes shifted. Her re-marriage to Tom was not the best of choices.
"She's due in 5 months," Lisa said. "They seem quite happy. But Patty has had to plan the entire wedding, Kevin and she paid for everything too."
"Because her family wanted nothing to do with it?" Liz asked.
"They said only the church is necessary, they're also objecting to her wearing white…" Maurice explained.
"Jesus Christ," Ressler sighed. "I've met some backwards people in my job but…"
"I feel really sorry for her now," Liz said quietly. "I'm sure this is not what she planned or…"
"I think she and Kevin are seeing that, at the end of the day, they'll be married and have a child soon," Lisa said. "I think they'll be very happy."
The waiter showed up and took their orders. They talked a little more about the wedding this evening, and Lisa expressed concern over the Doyle clan scaring Milly's family if they were already affronted by all that was going on. While they ate, Lisa and Maurice entertained Liz with stories from the road and the various characters they have met. Liz loved how they interacted with each other, finishing thoughts and sentences, and always smiling and laughing with each other. When the bill arrived Maurice grabbed it before Ressler could.
"Dad," Ressler said as he tried to take the bill from Maurice.
"No, we invited you and you have paid for plane tickets to get out here," he said as he stood and started to go inside.
"I'll be back," Ressler said as he rose to continue to try and pay the bill inside.
"They are one in the same," Lisa laughed. "Sometimes I think he's more Maurice than he ever was his father."
Liz smiled at her and nodded.
Lisa looked at her carefully.
"You love him," she said as if it was a statement more than a question.
"Excuse me?" Liz asked, surprised, a blush rising on her cheeks.
"I'm going to tell you something that took me years to figure out," Lisa said as she smiled and leaned forward. "When you love a man and that man loves you, which I know Donnie does, you need to stop using your head and start thinking with your heart and your emotions. Because your head will talk you out of anything and everything, and your heart and emotions will take you right toward what you want and need."
Liz swallowed hard and nodded.
"And I know what it's like to be you; scared. Scared because the first time ended badly, because you have a child you need to think about, because you can't imagine hurting that bad ever again if something were to happen to him too. I know."
Liz's eyes got watery and Lisa reached across and took her hand.
"And stepping in and stepping out only confuses the other person because they have never been where we have been, they don't know the struggle," Lisa said. "I wasn't much older than you were when I met Maurice and it took us years to figure this out. You and Donnie don't need to do that. You can be happy today if you just trust that he will never hurt you. Because I know my Donnie and I hear the way he talks about you, and I see the way he looks at you. That man would move heaven and earth to make you happy. He's a keeper. You listen to your heart and see what it says."
Liz wiped at her eyes and looked inside to see him still at the bar with Maurice, watching some kind of sport on a TV now.
"It says him," Liz said softly.
Lisa's eyes got watery as well, and she stood and walked around to Liz and gave her a sideways hug. "Then do something about it, for both your sakes. Because that boy is dying to know what you told me."
Liz nodded and Lisa was just walking back to her seat when Ressler and Maurice returned to the table. He immediately caught the redness around Liz's eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, we were…just laughing about some of the stupid answers I gave last night," Liz covered.
"Boxer briefs Donnie?" Lisa asked. "You can wear those under your suits?"
Ressler's face went red, and he shrugged. "I don't think we need to talk about my underwear choices ma."
Everyone laughed and Liz rose to follow him to their bikes. They hugged his parents and they went back in their truck while Liz and Don started to the trek back to Aunt Patty's.
"That's crazy about Milly, huh?" Ressler asked as they started to peddle.
"I honestly can't believe she had sex before marriage," Liz said. "I would have never profiled that."
"Me neither," Ressler chuckled. "But she, obviously wanted to marry Kevin."
"Yep," Liz chuckled.
They were out of the main part of town and peddling side by side before anyone spoke again.
"You call Maurice 'dad'," Liz said as she looked sideways at him.
"Sometimes," Ressler said.
"I didn't know that," Liz offered.
"It's…I don't know how to explain it, but sometimes it just feels right and sometimes it feels right to call him Maurice," Ressler hedged. "Robby only calls him Maurice."
"He had no children of his own?" Liz asked.
"No, he and my mom were in their forties when they got married and back then, people didn't have kids that late," Ressler explained. "She had two boys in their 20's, she didn't want a baby."
"So, you kind of are his son," Liz observed. "The closest he'll ever get to one."
"Yeah, I guess," Ressler said. He hadn't really ever thought about it that way.
"I bet you calling him 'dad' means a lot to him," Liz noted.
Ressler took a deep breath. "I guess it does. I hadn't ever really thought…"
Liz smiled at him.
"Well, now you have," Liz said with a smile. "I'm not saying you should change anything, but sometimes we need to see things from another person's perspective."
Ressler nodded and Liz could see he was deep in thought so she left him alone to bike and think most of the way back.
When they pulled into his aunt's driveway Kevin was driving out in his pickup and stopped to speak with them.
"Hey, ready for tonight?" Don asked him with a smile.
"There are some issues with the tent," Kevin said. "I'm trying to get everyone I can to come and help."
"I can," Ressler said seriously. "You going there now?"
"Hop in," Kevin said. "Hugh and Derek are already there, and I called a bunch of friends…"
Ressler got off his bike and handed it to Liz.
"You okay taking these both into the barn?" He asked her.
"No problem, go fix the tent," Liz smiled at him as she hopped off her bike and leaned it against the post, until she could come back and ride hers in too.
"Thanks," he said before he leaned in, kissed her quickly on the lips and jumped in the passenger seat of the truck.
Liz stood and watched them drive down the road, his hand waving out the window at her. Apparently, they were now the people that kissed when they parted. Aram was going to lose his shit.
To be continued…
