They arrived at the war room and couldn't really understand what the fuss was all about. Everybody was gathering in the center of the room, whispering to each other and looking suspiciously towards Cooper's office. Liz approached an agent to ask what was going on.
"Cooper is talking to a new agent who's going to join the taskforce. He asked us all to get together so he can introduce the guy to us."
"Oh! I didn't know we were going to have a new guy" she is surprised, and joins the team of people staring at the room.
"Well, that's not only that!" said Agent Christine Mathis. "Rumor has it that the guy is hot!" she smirks and winks at Liz, and Ressler looks at the two women with a frown on his face.
They were about to move to join Aram and Samar when the door to Cooper's office opened, so they decided to stay put.
And agent Mathis wasn't joking when she said the guy was hot. Maybe she was being nice to Ressler, because to describe the man who left Cooper's office as 'hot' was a big euphemism.
He was tall and strong built, his shirt touching his abs and muscles, giving little to the imagination. He had narrow eyes, green and mysterious, and a wide smile, with a charming gap in the teeth. His strong jaw completed his face. He had long black hair combed back, with a lock falling over his forehead. Liz could notice all the women in the room trying to hide their sighs and heart eyes, and she was kinda making some effort as well, even with Ressler right beside her. The only one not bothered enough to hide her lust was Samar, who was eyeing the man up and down.
"hey everybody" Harold Cooper came from behind the man, waking everybody up to the reality. "This is Agent Marcus Dixon, he's been transfered to our division and will join us from now on. I hope you all can welcome Agent Dixon and help him settle down here"
The man pursed his lips into a shy smile, and waved to everybody, and some of the young agents couldn't hide their waving back, giggling to each other after that. Liz rolled her eyes to that weird childish behaviour. She noticed that Ressler was all stiff next to her, so he touched his arm to check up on him. He turned to her, startled.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"what? yeah, sure."
"Agent Keen" Cooper called, making her and Ressler turn their attentions to him. "Please, I'd like you to accompany Agent Dixon on a tour around the facility, show him all the rooms and also use this time to give him more details about our operation with Reddington." he turned to the man as Liz approached them. she felt a slight grip on her arm as she left Ressler's side, but couldn't turn around to look at him.
"This is Agent Keen, Agent Dixon. She is Reddington's contact and one of our top operatives".
"Really glad to meet you, agent. I know you reputation" he opened a smile and offered his hand for her to shake. His grip was firm and strong, but his hand was soft. Liz felt a weird sensation in her gut.
"Oh, I wouldn't go with my reputation, agent. I'm just a normal woman."
"there's nothing normal in a woman who's been through what you went through. I truly admire you" Liz opened a smile and looked down, blushing.
"well, where shall we start?" the man was waiting for her guidance through the facility, and was extremely gentle by walking beside her and holding a door open as they went to the other areas of the post office.
Ressler was grunting. He didn't really notice the fact that everybody had already gone back to their activities, whilst he was still there in the middle of the room. Aram was the one to wake him up.
"So, this guy, hun? who would have thought there could be something like that" Aram remarked.
"A Greek God, as defined by the phylosophers or whatever" Samar noted, and Ressler puffed, more like breathed fire through his nostrils. "I mean, what I wouldn't do to be Liz right now and..."
"How about we go back to work?" interrupted Ress, startling her. She observed perplexed as he marched towards his room, and then turned to Aram.
"Oh, Jeez." He was looking at her with squinty eyes. "Oh, c'mon, honey, you cannot deny that man is a piece of work. Give me a break" she slightly pushed her boyfriend before going back to her work.
All through the afternoon Liz was with Agent Dixon, explaining the procedures and showing him the blacklisters already captured. He always had questions, so she barely stayed in her office.
It was about three o'clock when Ressler got a call in his phone.
"Ressler" he spoke, firmly through the speaker.
"Donald!" he recognized Raymond Reddington's voice and sighed, annoyed, sitting back on his chair.
"Yes, Red, what do you need? do you have a new blacklister? Because Agent Keen's... busy" he wished he didn't sound so desperately annoyed with the situation to Reddington, but of course the man already knew.
"Ah, so Lizzie is the one walking Agent Dixon around, hun? I figured Cooper would do this."
"what do you know about this guy, Red?" he wished the criminal had some dirty secret of the new agent, something to get him out of there. But all Red had was compliments.
"Oh, no, Donald, Agent Dixon is an example. I asked him personally to Reven Wright as we decided our new protocol for my consultancy. I hope this won't be of any problem to you"
"No, of course not" Ressler wasn't even bothering hiding his annoyance now. Reddington laughed on the other end of the phone.
"Take care, Donald, and remember that Lizzie loves you. Don't act selfishly or do anything stupid regarding this matter."
It was good advice, after all, and Ressler thanked him before hanging up. He stared at his unfinished work, and then at his watch, finally towards the war room, but no sign of her. He shook his head to take it from his mind as he started to ruffle through the papers.
Only at half past five did she say goodbye to him, and went to her room, only to grab her bags, desperate for a bath.
"Hey, babe, let's go home?" she asked, innocently.
"Are you done?" he said it rougher than he meant it, and she looked at him confused.
"What? Donald, what's going on?"
"Nothing. let's go"
He held a hand behind Liz's back all the way to the elevator, circling her like a protective bear. she was still confused to what was going on, but chose not to provoke, sensing that would cause a fight.
He didn't say a word all the drive home, or when they got there and sat down to eat. When she was cleaning out the plates, he finally said something.
"so, the new agent... Agent..."
"Dixon, Marcus." she immediately got it, and rolled her eyes, sitting in front of him across the kitchen table.
"How was it? Is he nice? Is he good? I mean, do you think he'll be good for the task force?" she decided to play him a little.
"Yeah, sure. he's very qualified. He's been with the bureau for 10 years now, and was military before that. He was very interested in Red and the whole dynamic of the operation, I think he was a bit too excited with the idea of dealing with Red."
"hun" Ressler grunted, playing with his piece of chocolate cake
"He was very nice while we were going around the rooms and offices, a real gentleman. He seems to be a nice guy, funny. Hey, did you know that there is a room downstairs with a broken camera? Yeah, Marcus noticed that when he pinned me to the wall and kissed me."
"Oh, really...WHAT?" his eyes were wide, and she could see a vein popping out on his neck. She had to bite her lip to avoid laughing on his face.
"Oh my God, Donald! you're jealous!"
"what? no!" he scorned, the vein still popped out. She squinted, grinning, forcing him to confess.
"Oh, ok. Yes, I am. So there's this guy that made all the women in the room go nuts and then he spends the whole afternoon with my girlfriend? I'm sorry, Liz, but yeah, I'm jealous."
She starts laughing, and for a few good minutes she can't say anything without bursting out laughing. She should be mad at his reaction, doesn't he trust her? but it was also very cute. He crossed his arms and puffed like a child.
When she finally recovers from laughing, she stands up and sits on his lap, straddling him on the chair, and putting her arms around his neck, making circles on his hair.
"That's all very cute, Donald Ressler, but unecessary. That man did not call my attention at all."
"Are you serious, Liz? The guy nearly gave me goosebumps!"
"No. Nothing. I'm more of a ginger-freckled-blue-eyed strong guy type of girl." she touches his nose with hers. He puts his hand around her back under her t-shirt, while the other goes to her hair, holding her close.
"besides, why would I want a tall handsome and strong man? I already have one." He kisses her with all the passion that his jealousy held up all day, and now she definitely feels butterflies in her stomach. as the kiss deepens, she gets closer to him, holding him tightly. She stops it to gasp for air.
"wow. you should get jealous more often, Ress." she affirms, going to give small kisses on his neck.
"Haha, no way. I'm not going through that afternoon again."
"well, tomorrow agent Dixon will be there, you know."
"I guess agent Dixon will have to know that you are already mine" he captures her lips again, while she sinks her fingers into his hair.
"Am I, really? So why don't you take me to our bedroom and prove it, big shot?"
She doesn't have to say it twice. he stands up, holding her and, still kissing, they move to their bedroom.
A/N - So I decided to write another short one to compensate for today. I thought it would be a good idea to imagine Ressler being jealous of another man, and not Tom. So, in case you're wondering, Marcus Dixon - I used the name of the beloved partner of Sydney Bristow in Alias - was based on Morten Harket - lead singer of my favourite band, A-ha. I tried to describe Morten in the 1990's.