Title: Beyond Borders
Chapter 3 – The Longest Night

Liz picks up the small bottle of cologne from Ressler's open suitcase and allows his scent to tease her senses for a few seconds. But the longer she holds onto the little black bottle, her mind wonders what it would feel like to have that scent closer…in an intimate embrace? Adding to her inner frustration, the next item she pulls out is a pair of black boxers. Her mind instantly races at picturing him wearing only the black boxers and smelling wonderful. His body pressed up against hers and…Liz snap out of it! Her mind scolds as she quickly places the bottle on top of her dresser and goes in search of…my husband…she wouldn't lie, the title associated with her partner was something she had briefly fantasized about after Tom broke off their engagement; especially when he had offered his full support. But that's where it had remained. A late night fantasy when she was overtired.

Snap out of it! She orders as she quickly puts his underwear back into the suitcase, closes the lid and then goes in search of her frustrated partner. She enters the kitchen and can't help but offer a small smile as he struggles with the opening to the coffee maker. "I need that," she tells him in haste as her hand rests on his and stops his actions. "I know you hate this but I'm glad you didn't get on that plane."

He turns to her and offers her a small head shake, followed by a sympathetic expression. "I didn't mean to snap like that back there. I'm…just frustrated."

"I think you're handling it pretty well considering."

"I have to," he answers as he leans back on the counter. "You told me to play along or I'm dead…maybe I'm more afraid of you than Stanton's paid goons," he ends with a lighter tone in his voice.

"Well…I am pretty scary," she nods and grins, the two of them lingering in close proximity for a few seconds longer before a small stomach rumble breaks the moment. "That was also scary," she laughs as her hand covers her stomach. "But at least I can blame Stanton for forcing me to miss lunch."

"Hey at least you weren't given a forced physical by two guys name Dwayne," he grumbles as she looks at him with a weak expression.

"How's your shoulder?"

"That was the least of my worries. Any word on them?"

"Cooper said it was all part of Stanton's rouse, set up by his accountant."

"Accountant…yeah right," Ressler huffs as he opens one of the cupboards and mindlessly starts to pull out two plates. "The phony judge, the personal attendants…the main guy who carried out the arrest. How'd he pull it all off so fast?" He asks as he places the plates, almost mechanically on the table and then turns back to see her watching in interest. "Force of habit," he casually shrugs as she smiles.

"Thank you," she tells him as she pulls out a casserole dish of leftover lasagna. "We wanted him only for murder right?"

"Cut and…dry. I hate when you give me that look," Ressler grumbles as Liz's expression slightly softens. "What?"

"This wasn't planned overnight," Liz offers, not realizing the truthful validity of her words. "A plane trip to Hamburg? Personal escorts? Access to your legal citizenship and FBI records? He was so confident that this would work that he told his accountant to book him a table at his favorite restaurant."

"Instead he got your name on the arrest warrant and me benched."

"Beats prison and that orange jumpsuit. Did you keep it for a souvenir?" She gently teases.

"Complete with the paw prints," he lightly retorts. "Those guys were a piece of work," he gently grimaces as he reenters the kitchen.

"Well there's nothing more we can do tonight except…"

"Sit and dwell!" He quickly snaps before he looks at her in remorse. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't let my bitterness come through. This isn't your fault…in fact, during all this I uh…I never said thanks. You literally saved my life."

"You're welcome and just look at this as…a sleepover."

"Sleepover," Ressler muses as he watches pull their dinner from the over. "A sleepover with my life on the line and my…damn he's made it like I don't exist!"

"This will get fixed."

"Would sound a lot more convincing if you didn't want to add an I hope after that statement," he adds sourly. "Somewhere McBeth is laughing at all this right now."

"Laughing? Don't forget, he only half succeeded," Liz reminds him in haste.

"Right. My paperwork was revoked but I'm still alive."

"And he's now on the run. Stanton isn't a man to suffer lightly."

"I just can't understand why Stanton didn't run when he had the chance," Ressler huffs as he looks at her with a strained expression. "Something else is going on. Something so important that it forced him to stay behind and risk his own life at our hands."

"Tomorrow I'l…" she starts and then stops as his voice utters a low hiss.

"I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing while my future is decided for me!"

"We'll figure something out. I'm sure Cooper will okay you coming in under civilian watch."

"Minus the black hood," he gently huffs as her face softens.

"We will get to the bottom of this."

"Stanton…we know he has a network of people at his disposal," Ressler mentions as he rubs his face. "McBeth isn't our only threat."

"I agree but…" Liz starts just as the bell on the oven dings to signal that it's time to stop the strained discussion and try to get past dinner. "Saved by the bell," she whispers as he offers her a nod.

"Is that…ready?"

Liz gives him a nod and the two of them sit down to their modest meal. But a few minutes in, it's obvious their both feeling the tension, prompting her to look up at study his set jaw with a frown. "How is it?"

"Good," he looks at her with a nod. "Is this…eggplant?" He inquires as she nods. "It's…good. Never had it like this before."

"I'm glad you like it."

More tense silence.

"You know I can just turn on the TV or…whatever."

"Sorry, I'm not much for small talk," he admits somewhat sheepishly, his brain laughing at the fact that he'd never be able to handle a real date of his choosing. You'd have to talk! Women like to talk! "It's your call about the TV. I guess I'm not very social tonight."

"Understandable."

"But this is good," he offers lamely. "Something new."

"Are you an adventurous eater?" Liz asks in a strained tone.

"Define adventurous," he tosses back lightly as he continues to enjoy his meal. "If you mean putting chili on a hotdog then yes I'm your guy."

"Chili…and cheese? You gotta have the cheese."

"Sauerkraut?"

"Fried onions?"

"What is this again?" He asks in mock seriousness as both of them finally start to relax a little. The talk about food continues and the icy tension starts to slowly melt so that by the time dinner's over the tension has for the most part completely subsided. At least at the dinner table. There was still a lot of night ahead.

"Mind if I shower tonight? Kinda want to get the paw prints off," he mentions with a small smirk.

"Not at all…I'll have one in the morning. I…" she stops and then looks away.

"What is it?" He presses as she looks back.

"I'll clean out that spare room tomorrow."

"I don't mind the couch. Probably will just be overnight right?"

"It should have been cleaned out long ago. Mostly boxes and….stuff," she admits with a small frown.

"Do you ever hear from him?" Ressler dares to inquire as she looks up in anxiety; his heart dropping as he notices her jaw set. "Liz, I'm sorry I didn't mean to pry."

"Our parting was very strained and…no I haven't heard from him since I got the note saying it was over and that was it."

"A note? You never told us how…just that the engagement was over and he left. I'm sorry. Seems like the cowardly way out," Ressler offers her a tight lipped glance. "But…if you want help cleaning that room out…I do have a few spare hours tomorrow."

"Just promise if you do decide to go postal after being super bored for a whole day…remove the breakables."

"A whole day…wow," he groans as they both turn and head toward the bedroom where his suitcase was still waiting. He gives her a small nod before he gathers up his suitcase and heads back into the living room; taking a few items along with him into the bathroom. Ressler closes the door and finally gets a chance to check out…her things. He pulls the first drawer open and starts to scan with an amused eye the items inside – makeup, cream and other items. He reaches for a round purple container and looks at the label.

"Passion fruit body butter. Butter? You eat this?" Ressler asks in confusion as he twists the lid and puts his nose close to the creamy substance and allows the tempting fruity aroma to teases his senses. Put it away now! His brain orders as he for a few delightfully tormented seconds pictures her body before him, naked and his hands gently applying the cream.

"Glad it's just one night," Ressler groans as he quickly puts the lid back on, shoves the container back into the drawer and slams it shut; turning on the hot water and telling himself he'd have to behave if they were ever to get to their first official date. Date? You skipped that and just got married, his brain jeers as he slowly undresses and then stands under the hot streams of water.

But as soon as the hot water connects with his wounded shoulder he offers a small yelp and scolds himself for being too distracted to properly cover it up.

Just at that moment, Liz pauses outside the closed bathroom door; wondering about his painful gasp and then curse. Her hand quickly rests on the door handle but her brain yells at her to let him finish his shower! He's naked! This…is too tempting, she inwardly moans as she carries on, slowly getting ready for bed and hoping the night ahead isn't as long as she fears it might be.

About twenty minutes later the water stops and then silence follows. She dares to enter the hallway to get one last thing before bed; passing the door just as he pulls it open.

"Oh…sorry," both offer at once as she pulls back; her eyes hungrily devouring his half naked frame. He had only a towel wrapped around his waist; hair wet and body…wow that's what he keeps underneath all those stuffy suits? This might be harder than I thought.

"Forgot my sweats," Ressler offers weakly as he quickly becomes aware of her lingering stare.

"Sweats…right…living room. You found everything okay in there?" Liz's brain finally recovers enough for her to formulate a full, coherent sentence. I can take down a vicious killer no problem, but seeing my partner half naked apparently turns my brain to mush! Oh I'm in trouble, her brain inwardly laments.

"I did," he replies firmly; both of them well aware of the heat the closeness of their bodies was producing; his a bit more so thanks to the after effects of the hot shower. But as soon as her eyes pull away from his face and rest on the wound on his shoulder she frowns. "It's not that bad," he tries to offer in haste.

"It looks infected. Did it get hit today?"

"It'll be fine until…" he starts only to have her gently take him by his bare forearm and push him back into the bathroom so she could examine it. He eases himself down onto the edge of the counter, his heart rate starting to rise as her delicate fingers start to examine the warm skin around the festering wound.

"This looks…worse," she tells him as she reaches for a slim cotton pad and presses down; his lips biting back a small gasp. "And it's infected."

"Well I didn't change into that orange jumpsuit willingly. Is there a walk-in clinic around here?"

"Few blocks over," she answers truthfully as she reaches for some disinfectant. "Sorry," she whispers as he gives her a small headshake. She presses down slightly; her distracted brain allowing her eyes to drop down to his bare chest and then linger on a small half-moon scar just below the left breastbone. Her eyes lift to meet his; locking for a few seconds before she looks away.

"Okay there…remember no wrestling in the middle of the night."

"How'd you know that was my thing?" He asks with some amusement as she tosses the bandage wrappers into the garbage and steps back to allow him to get up.

"Oh I know all about you Donald Ressler," she offers lightly as he looks at her with a strained smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replies as he heads back into the hallway and then down toward the darkened living room. She watches his tense frame disappear around the corner and leans against the wall and closes her eyes. But a few seconds later she pulls her eyes away from the area Ressler was staying in and looks at the spare room that housed a few things that still belonged to her life with Tom.

Ressler quickly pulls on a pair of dark sweatpants and a tee-shirt, his fingers gingerly touching the bandage on his shoulder before he reaches for the supplied blanket and pillow. Just before he turns off the light he glances down the hallway and notices the outline of her frame standing facing the small spare bedroom and frowns. He had been so focused on his own troubles for most of the day he didn't give much thought about what it would be like for her to have a man in her apartment once again.

Just one night and then this will be all cleared up and things will be back to normal, his mind tries to convince himself as he eases himself down onto the couch and finally turns off the light.

Liz looks at the boxes before her and feels herself starting to sag against the wall, leaning against it and then sliding down until she was sitting on the floor, facing the daunting task before her. She folds her arms on her knees and drops her head, her eyes resting on a small token and her throat slightly seizing. She hears Ressler's low grumble down the hallway and can't help but offer a strained smile before she turns her head back and closes her eyes. What did I do?

About half hour later, Ressler's eyes open as he tries to shift to a more comfortable position on the couch. But in doing so he notices the light on down the hallway and props himself up on one elbow and listens. Silence. Was she up? What's she doing?

Allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, he slowly pushes up from the couch and heads toward the hallway, slowing his pace as he nears the spare bedroom with the light on. Just before he calls her name to ask what was going on, he looks around the corner to see her curled up and fast sleep on the floor. Knowing he couldn't just leave her there, his arms gently scoop her into their grasp and lift her into the air. He turns and heads for her bedroom, her soft frame snuggling into his strong arms and forcing his lips to offer her a tender smile.

He carefully places her on the right side of the large bed and pulls a blanket over her, her lips muttering something that sounds like 'thank night'; his lips gently smirking at her mixing up 'thank you and goodnight'. He looks over at the left side of the bed and for a few seconds his mind tells him he could sleep there; it would be a lot more comfortable than the couch! But the other side of his brain, the one that wins out, tells him that the couch would be fine for one night and everything would be back to normal tomorrow.

With a heavy sigh he leaves Liz's bedroom, heads back into the living room and slumps down with in weary defeat. He rolls onto his back and looks up at the dark ceiling, his mind wondering where McBeth had gotten to and what Red's stake was in all this. When I get my hands on him…his inner voice trails off as he finally sinks into darkness; his mind taking some satisfaction in getting his hands on either McBeth or Red – or both! And the thought of revenge is the one thing that helps Ressler fall asleep faster.

However, the thought of revenge wasn't only on the mind of Agent Ressler…someone else was thinking the same thing – only taking the thought one step further.

"Who's my new target McBeth?"

"Donald Ressler. I want him dead. And I want it tomorrow. Get this done before Stanton brings in Oslo to take us all out!"

A/N: so this chappy was all Liz/Don and I hope that's okay! Some fluff, some angst and some tension. Of course Stanton won't stop until Ressler's dead so how will his trip to the doctor's office go? Will Ressler this his paperwork back tomorrow as they think? Or is a tense visit from immigration going to take place? And what will Liz uncover about the man now targeting her husband? Please do review before you go (esp those of you who have just followed but not made your appreciation known yet *wink*) and thanks so much!