Beep.

'I don't fucking believe this!'

Leaning on other side of the van, Elizabeth Keen is jolted upright as the metal body of the vehicle shudders. She jumps away before her partner, Donald Ressler, can strike another violent blow against the hood.

'I'm going to assume it's not good news' She smiles wearily, running a balmy hand through her hair.

'Well we're stuck here until morning, so forgive me for not exactly being delighted' He shoves his phone into pocket with aggression and marches past her. Liz winces as the double doors of the van clang open. Someone's in a bad mood. There's a rattling inside the van, things being dropped and broken.

'We're the fucking F.B.I' comes the low growl, as Ressler marches back out of the van, not even looking at her. A metal black box is held taut in his fist. 'We have helicopters'

Out comes a heavy wrench, plunged deep into the workings of the vehicle.

'Don, are you sure you know what you're-' Liz looks up just in time to see the wrench come springing back towards Ressler at an unmanageable force, having dislodged what she could only assume was a vital part of the engine's machinery. It flicks out of his hand, striking him on the forehead.

'Son of a-' the rest of Ressler's cursing is drowned out by the noise of Liz's laughter.

'Well done, Agent Ressler.' She gulps in a fresh breath of air before launching into hysterical laughter again.

Something within him softens slightly, as he rubs at the red mark on his forehead.

'I never was good at this kind of thing in training' he admits, looking at the van now with more amusement than contempt.

'There it is Don, that beautiful smile' Liz teases, drawing her words out long and sarcastic, enjoying a good laugh at him from time to time.

'Yeah, yeah, so funny.' He loosens the knot in his tie, stretching out the collar of his shirt in an attempt to cool off, 'I hope that keeps you entertained all night, Liz, because there's not much else to do while we're stuck out here.'

At this point, Liz takes a good look at her surroundings- late June in a woodland area might as well be the Tropics, for the heat and humidity- and the bugs, oh Jesus, they were everywhere. She didn't even need to turn around to know they were taking a shine to Donald, the sound of him slapping himself silly and cursing even more frequently was confirmation enough.

'I'll be in the van if you need me' was the strained response to this, and sure enough, the slamming of a door came only seconds later.

Liz smiled subconsciously, glad that of all people, she was stuck out here with Donald Ressler.

-~-~-.-~-~-

After a long hour of sulking, Ressler began to wonder why the hell he was still sitting in the van while Liz was outside. Since she'd come to his apartment to tell him about Tom, he'd barely had any time alone with her. Too much was in the way- being together in any capacity felt like somehow betraying Meera, and he was still grieving for Audrey.

Besides, he was hardly the kind of guy that would just phone up and ask her to hang out with him, but he liked being around Liz and he wanted her to be okay. She'd never signed up for any of the shit that had happened to her and he admired how she managed to get through it while still forcing a smile.

He didn't have the will nor the energy to work out why, but he knew for sure that being out there with Liz, even if it meant being eaten alive by midges, beat being in here by himself- and that was ok.

Her suit jacket was on the ground, and she was propping herself up by her arms, allowing the waning sun to shine on her skin, her head turned to face the last rays, soaking them in.

'Trust you to find a silver lining in all of this.' He grumbled. Why did he grumble? He hadn't meant to sound so irritable! What the hell was with this constant self-sabotage?

Liz just smiled. Was it possible that was something she liked about him? Why?

'I've got to warn you' she sat up, slowly, massaging her stiffened elbows 'The bugs are still here to feast on you, and they've brought friends.'

'I know, I can already feel them sucking the life out of me.' He shuddered, removing his own suit jacket and laying it on the ground beside her.

'Did you look in the emergency box for insect repellent?'

He laughs, 'So many times. I can promise you, there's none to be found.'

She returns his laugh, stopping abruptly as he reaches down to sit next to her. 'Oh crap. Ressler, your forehead.' She reaches out and turns his chin with a delicate touch.

He blinks quickly, recoiling a little. It's been months since anyone has touched him with such femininity or tenderness. It's been months since Audrey died in his arms.

She opens her mouth to explain it away but closes it; unable to think of anything that won't just make things worse.

He touches the side of his head, where he'd hit himself with the wrench. 'It's nothing' he shrugs, graciously ignoring the previous few moments for the sake of them both.

She winces. 'I feel a little bad for laughing.'

He grins, 'A little bad? You did laugh a lot'

And then she's laughing again, relieved that they moved on so quickly, 'No, no you're right. I should make it up to you. I'll make dinner.'

She leans over and offers him two blue-labeled tins. 'Pineapple or pear?'

'Pear, definitely. Ew.' He nods at the tin in her left hand.

She lifts a can opener out of the emergency kit and removes the metal top, peering inside.

'Ew indeed. Bon appetite!' she laughs, glad of his decision, amused by his constant misfortune and hands him his can, getting to work on her own.

Ressler studies her intently, his mind going back to what had happened only moments before. He shouldn't have pushed her away, that would only lead her to think that he was reading into it more than he should have been, that he believed she meant something by it. He wasn't sure what he believed- and that didn't just go for Liz. Since Raymond Reddington surrendered to the F.B.I his ideas of right and wrong, enemy and ally, happiness and loneliness had been shaken beyond understanding.

'It's getting darker' he comments, 'is there a flashlight in there?'

Liz fumbles for the torch, clicking it on. 'There.'

They sit for a few moments, and he's not quite sure of what to say. She keeps touching her ring finger, looking to adjust what is no longer there. Don gives in at this, and asks her something he'd been wanting to for a while.

'Liz?'

'Yeah?' she turns away from the sunset, and is caught in it.

'When you first started working at the bureau, what did you think of me?'

She laughs, 'Why does it matter?'

'Humour me' he shrugs, 'it doesn't I guess, but I always thought you hated me.'

'Hate's a bit strong' she looks at the ground. 'You were hardly my favorite person though.'

Still watching her closely, he asks quietly, 'When did you change your mind?'

She looks ready to tease him, or make another joke but her face changes quickly, realising that he was serious. 'I was under review- it went against everything you knew but still you broke the rules and let me in to see Red in hospital after I stabbed the pen in his neck. You've broken quite a few rules for me.'

After speaking, Liz notices the sun is completely gone now, the trees shadowy

'You were upset about Tom, it was the least-' he stops short, regretting having mentioned her ex-husband.

She shakes her head, 'No, it's okay. I'm fine.' But her eyes don't leave the ground.

Ressler's eyes don't leave Liz. He shuffles closer to her, casting his arm around her and bringing her in so her head rests on his shoulder.

'Don, I'm fine.' She protests, but doesn't struggle.

'I know you're fine! I'm just cold.'

'Cold my ass, you're just using me as a human barrier between you and the bloodsucking midges.'

He smiles, his hand smoothing over her hair comfortingly. It's momentary but there's a slight irregularity in his heart rate- not that it means anything, it's probably that weird canned food beginning to kill him, or his heart adjusting to a loss of blood from the damn insects. It's not feelings, not emotions. Not for his friend Liz.

'You caught me out. I'm guilty' he smiles, resting his head on top of hers, feeling for the first time in so long like he's not completely empty.