He looked at his phone and saw that is was 11:55pm. The day had been draining. And not just the case. He had fucked up…. had hurt the one person in his life that meant something. And he didn't know how to fix it. He never meant for her to find those papers. He wasn't even sure it was the decision he wanted to make.

Ressler's mind was a maze of thoughts.

He should've told her what was going through his head the night after they had confessed their feelings. He should have told her that he wanted her in his life. That his decision to leave the task force wasn't about him leaving her. He clenched his fists at the thought of Liz not understanding that he would give up everything; his position on the task force, his standing. Everything…. to be in her life.

He closed his eyes and laid his head back on his couch.

You should have gone over to see her, Ressler…. What the hell are you still doing here?

He opened his eyes and got off the couch to get his keys. He'd be damned if he was going to let things go on any longer than they should. He would tell her. Open up to her.

He grabbed his jacket and opened up his apartment door and stopped dead in his tracks. There was Liz Keen, staring right back at him.

…..

"Liz…", he said startled, his mouth still open in shock that she was actually at his front door.

She smiled slightly and stared at him.

"I, ummm, just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes if you aren't busy." Liz watched his head start to shake and his hand usher her inside his apartment.

"No… come in."

She entered the apartment and was instantly reminded of the previous year when she had shown up unannounced after her fight with Tom. She remembered the look on his face when he opened the door. He was shocked... startled... surprised that she had reached out to him for help. Their relationship wasn't exactly the closest… but he was her partner. And at that time, there wasn't anyone else she trusted more.

The same could be said now, she thought to her herself as she watched Ressler take a seat on the couch a few feet in front of her.

"Ressler", she said not really knowing where to start. "I've been doing a lot of thinking the past couple of days."

"I was angry at first. That you would even think about leaving the task force. That you would think about leaving me."

Liz watched as his face grimaced and his mouth opened to speak.

"But I get it", she said before he had the chance to say anything. "I get why you made the decision you made. Why we can't work together if there's more to our relationship than just partners. I know how much you love your career. And I know how hard that must have been."

"Liz… what are you…", he said before he was cut off again.

"Ressler, please just let me finish", she said a little louder so he would understand how desperately she needed to get her words out. She saw his head look down at his hands while she spoke.

"I don't want to lose you. And I know how much this job means to you. How much our work means to you. So I came here tonight to tell you that I can stop… whatever this is. I can put it to the side if it meant having us stay partners. If it meant having you stay in my life."

"Liz, stop it." Ressler stood up and walked over to where she was standing. His eyes infuriated by the words she was speaking.

"Do you really think I want to leave you?", he asked her.

"I'm not scared of my feelings. I'm not scared that I care about you. And there are things besides my career that I care about more…"

Liz's eyes shot up to his, the realization of what he was saying starting to sink in.

"How am I supposed to have your back in a dangerous situation when all I want to do is protect you? How am I supposed to watch you enter a building with your gun drawn and not follow behind to make sure you are okay?"

"Liz, I CAN"T stop caring about you. That's why I need to put in this transfer."

"You and I both know that what we have between us isn't going away... I don't want it to", he said earnestly.

"So I'll talk to Cooper about going back to my old unit. I was happy there, did good work there."

He bit his lip and pondered his next words.

"But tell me Liz... tell me you can stop feeling whatever it is that is going on between us and I'll rip those papers in shreds right now..."

Ressler stepped closer to her now, their faces only inches apart.

She drew in a breath as she watched his eyes look down at her lips.

"Tell me I'm alone in this, Liz…", he said softly.

Liz opened her mouth to speak, but was transfixed. This man… her partner… was giving her an out. Giving her one last chance to run from whatever was happening between them. But instead of running away, Liz felt herself drawn in more. She cared about him. And if that meant they couldn't be together as partners, she no longer gave a damn.

She closed the gap between them and kissed his lips. Her eyes closed and she felt him kiss her back with fervor. Those same lips that were just asking if she could walk away were now sucking and pulling her in. She reveled in the taste of him. She moved her hands from his chest up into his hair and she felt herself pulling him deeper into the kiss.

The tenderness from their previous encounters was gone. This was about need.

She found herself being guided up against his wall; their kiss never breaking and their feet shuffling to get to some sort of stability. Liz appreciated it. Her mind was unable to process the flood of emotions running through her at this moment and she thought her legs might give out from under her at any time.

She moaned when Ressler broke their kiss. Pulling his head back to look her in the eyes. She saw what she imagined he was looking right back at.

Hunger. Need. Desire. And also Uncertainty.

"I'm all in, Ressler", she said, her breath slightly winded from their kiss.

"Good", he said smiling softly. "I've been waiting on you…"

She smiled and pulled him back into her lips, moaning softly as his tongue explored her mouth.

She felt his hands at her hips, slowly starting to pull her shirt from out of her pants. His warm, strong hands softly began to caress her stomach and she felt him hesitate slightly from going any further.

Even in the heat of passion, Ressler was still a gentleman. Still wanting to make sure Liz was okay with this next step in their relationship.

Her hands rose to the bottom of his shirt and she forcefully lifted him out of it. He stood before her, his chest bare, eyes searching hers for approval. She ran her hands over his chest, moving down near his abs. She felt him sharply draw in a breath of air and smiled to herself that she was the one whose touch could affect him this way.

Ressler claimed her lips once again and continued to move his hands further up her shirt. His hands brushed over her bra and he felt her body shiver. He took his hands from underneath and slowly started to unbutton each button her shirt. He felt her heartbeat racing while his hands worked their way down her shirt and once he was done, he unhooked her bra and claimed them in his hands, running his fingers along her nipples.

Liz moaned and kissed him deeper. He picked her up from against the wall and carried her to his bed, their kiss never breaking.

Liz felt herself being laid down on his bed and closed her eyes as she felt Ressler's mouth work his way from her neck down to her breasts, sucking and licking while his hands ran all over her body.

She felt him… His arousal against her thigh and she had to stop herself from reaching her limit right there before he was even inside of her.

She started to work at his pants and soon felt her arms being pinned against her sides.

He smiled at her as she watched him start to undo her pants and pull off the rest of her clothes so she lay completely naked on the bed. He stood over her. His eyes taking every inch of her in.

"You're more beautiful than I ever imagined, Liz."

Ressler watched her eyes soften as she stood up in front of him and started to undo the buckle on his pants. He couldn't contain the moan from his lips every time her hand brushed up against him. She pulled them down as he stepped back giving her a full view of his body.

She knew Ressler was a fit man. But his body was perfect.

He laid her back down on the bed, kissing her again and running his hands along her body. She kissed back ardently, and gasped when she felt him slowly enter her. He broke away from their kiss and their eyes locked; each one taking in this moment they had longed for. He was slow at first, taking his time to get to know her body. And when he felt her responding, started to fasten up the pace.

Liz moaned in agreement and wrapped her legs around him as she felt him start to move in and out of her faster and faster. She could feel her limit coming soon and tried to contain the screams that rose up in her throat as she felt Ressler responding against his will as well.

Each one out of breath and panting, they laid there for awhile. Neither one wanting to break apart from the other. Liz felt Ressler bury his face into her neck, kissing her ever so softly. She thought about all of the obstacles it had taken to get them to this point. Everything they had been through together and separately... and yet somehow, they had risen through it. Together.

"Ressler", she said softly, barely above a whisper. "I don't want you to transfer."

He moved slightly, rolling onto his side to face her.

She saw him take a deep sigh.

"I don't either."

"Can we at least try... try to work together and figure things out", she said while looking up into his eyes.

He nodded his head as he placed a kiss on her lips.

Liz felt a laugh coming across her face as she stared at Donald Ressler.

"If I would've known it would be that good, I don't think I would've waited this long", she said as he nestled his head in her hair and chuckled.

"We have the rest of our lives to do this, Liz…", he said, realizing the hidden meaning behind his statement.

He felt her freeze underneath him and shifted his body so he was now laying at her side.

He waited for her to respond, not wanting to say anything else that might give away just how much he cared about the woman who lay beside him.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Ressler could see tears even in the darkness of the room.

"Promise….", she said softly.

He knew what she was asking. And Donald Ressler knew his answer.

"With everything that I am."

Liz knew he meant it.