It was just another day at work at the post office. Blacklisters on the overhead screens and the task force around Aram's desk. But today was different. Today there was an undercurrent of anticipation in the air. With four days to go before Christmas, the post office was only half manned. Many had taken the day off, ready for an extra long weekend. And as soon as they were done in a couple of hours, the task force would be released until the following week. An entire week off. Almost unheard of and something Ressler wasn't looking forward to at all. But Reddington, ever the source of their gainful employment had blatantly told them he was not giving them a case next week. The team, according to Reddington (and not entirely backed up by the Dept of Justice, or Cooper, for that matter,) deserved some down time. He was adamant on that point, and Cooper had finally acquiesced.

Ressler only half listened to the criminal, despite outwardly giving him his full attention. A whole week off. Maybe he could ask Cooper if there was something he could work on during the week. He didn't need a week off. He didn't want a week off to prowl around his empty apartment, screaming at him from the walls that he was alone. He had no family. No children who would unwrap gifts on Tuesday morning. His gaze dropped, and he swallowed, suddenly hit with an image of the pregnancy test that had been in Audrey's suitcase. Don't. Don't do that. He squashed the image, with renewed determination to make Cooper give him a job to do next week.

In an effort to get his mind back on the post office and off non-existent children and wives, Ressler's eyes flitted around the war room. Guards stood either side of the yellow elevator. Dembe hovered in the shadows, ever the silent sentinel. He watched the dark man for a moment before returning to the impeccably dressed criminal who was now about to make his farewells to the team. The same criminal he'd chased for five years, and stopped chasing five years ago. Ten years of his life had been spent looking for and working with Raymond Reddington.

Ten years. Where would he be now if Raymond Reddington had never been born? Or at least, never decided to grow one of the biggest criminal enterprises out there. He'd have been happy. He'd have been married to Audrey with a child, maybe two, waiting for him at home. Damn the man. But it wasn't Reddington's fault. Not really. Not at all actually. He was just the easy target. The real criminal act had been that Ressler had let his job come before his fiance. A woman he had loved deeply. And he'd paid the price for it – as had Audrey in the most heartbreaking way – ever since then.

"Donald, don't look so glum," Red teased, then clapped Ressler on the shoulder. "Wondering what Santa will bring this year? Wondering if you've been a naughty or nice boy scout?"

Ressler shook his head, half smiling at the criminal. Reddington knew damn well he hadn't been a by-the-book model boy scout this year. Prescott had seen to that. No, he berated himself again, he had seen to that, allowing himself to plunge head first down the rabbit hole, and Red had fixed it. Mr Fix It. Raymond Reddington. He both loathed and loved the man and his deeds.

"Agent Ressler is always nice," Aram blurted out, then flushed and returned to his screens.

"Don't be so sure," Ressler told him, then stepped toward Cooper as their boss turned to head back upstairs.

"Sir? A word?" he asked.

Cooper bypassed the stairs and went to stand under them, out of view and earshot of the team. "What is it, Agent Ressler? Though I believe I already know. You don't want a whole week off, do you?"

"No, sir, I don't. I'd much rather be in here and-"

Cooper was already shaking his head. "As much as it pains me to admit, Reddington is quite right. You've all had a hard year. You've all earned this small break. Take advantage of it to relax, regroup and just, how shall I put it? Chill. Just chill out this week, Don." A smile danced around Cooper's eyes. He knew his lead agent all too well. "You do know what that means, right?"

Ressler sighed. He wasn't going to get anywhere with his boss. "Yes, sir." Just call me the chill master, he thought as he groaned inwardly.

"Take some quality time off. Maybe go visit your family. It is a holiday, after all. You're supposed to spend time with the ones you love."

Ressler nodded, then turned, resigned to his fate. It wouldn't just be a week. With weekends he was facing nine days away from the Post Office. His heart sank even further. Nine days! Spend time with the ones you love, Cooper had said. Perhaps he should gave got that ticket and joined the family cruise to, where was it? Mexico? Belize? His mother had insisted they all get away from another snowy Christmas in Detroit, and his brother's family had gone along with it. They'd be flying out tomorrow to join the cruise ship in New Orleans, and Ressler, who'd assumed he'd be working, had politely declined the invite. Not that anyone in his family had been surprised at that revelation. And now he wasn't working, and had no inclination to sail off to South America. He couldn't get a ticket at this stage, even if he had changed his mind.

"What was that about?" Liz asked, as soon as he walked through the door to their office.

He gave her the faintest of smiles, and shook his head. She didn't need to know he was being a Grinch. Or was it a Scrooge? Whatever, he wasn't in a Christmas frame of mind. He deflected the conversation, motioning to her packed bag on the floor by her desk.

"Nothing. So, you all set?"

She smiled, knowing what he was doing, but letting him off the hook. It was obvious he didn't like this enforced time off, but she'd let him tell her if he wanted to. "Yeah, Agnes will be so surprised when I show up to get her!" she beamed, her face lighting up at the thought of her daughter. "I'll head there as soon as we're done, pick her up, and then her and I are going to have some quality mommy daughter time this next week."

Ressler sat down in his chair, watching Liz's eye's light up at the thought of the little girl she'd barely spent any time with. If anything, he himself had spent as much time with Agnes, during the 10 months of Liz's coma. "She'll love it," he said, picturing Liz and Agnes putting up their small Christmas tree, and getting in some good cuddle time. His heart gave a little lurch at the thought, and once again, he squashed down those feelings. Christmas sucked when you lived alone.

"You're welcome to join us for Christmas dinner, Ress." Liz's words softened, and he met her eyes over their dual desks.

It was so tempting. But it was their special time, and he wasn't going to intrude on that. He shook his head, opened his mouth to decline, but Liz didn't let him speak when she saw which direction he was heading.

"Agnes would love to see you again," she prodded, seeing the hesitation in his eyes. "And if you're put off by my cooking, don't be, as I'm basically ordering the meal in," she grinned. Then sobered, as he still hadn't given her an answer. "Please?"

It was the way she said please that did him in. He couldn't refuse that undertone in her voice. That silent need. His shoulders relaxed a little, and he smiled. "Sure. Okay, I'll come for dinner," he agreed, and was immediately warmed at the sight of her beaming smile again.

"Perfect," she said. "Dinner will be around 5pm. And don't feel you need to get Agnes a gift. Honestly, she has so many toys, and doesn't need more. Just seeing her Uncle Donnie will be more than enough."

"Thanks, but don't kill me if a doll happens to fall off a shelf and into my shopping cart," Ressler replied, and suddenly the Christmas week didn't feel quite so bleak. Liz laughed then, a beautiful warm sound that melted away the cloud over him. Cooper's words drifted through his thoughts, and he held onto them. You're supposed to spend time with the ones you love. He gazed at Liz over their desks, captivated by her light and laughter.