The Architect. [The Blacklist. Donald Ressler X Oc]

Not Fair.

Maggie.

"You know this playdate is going to be unbearable if you don't talk to me"

I shoved a piece of cake into my mouth and gave James a side glance.

"I'm just still in shock that my own sister set me up"

"She didn't set you up, she really was going to come here to have brunch with you and the kiddos, she had a work emergency"

I gave him the best mix of anger and disbelief I could pull off my face.

"She has a pet shop! What kind of work emergencies-" I stopped myself just as I felt my tone of voice pick upon volume, took a deep breath, then continued slicing away at the cake in front of me.

Despite me not approving of my sister's relationship with James, I'd caved in and called her because I needed to talk to somebody, and my sister was one of the only people with who I could talk in rethorics, knowing well that I couldn't talk about Don's work with anyone.

Imagine my surprise when I saw James holding Nate by the hand as they walked to meet us at the park. Alma had brought her bike and Nathan his, we strolled quietly behind them at first, I sensed James' eyes on me the entire time.

We stopped at the middle of the park where they usually held activities for kids. There were painting activities today and they dressed both Alma and Nate in a raincoat type thing to prevent going home with watercolor paint on their clothes, and sat them in front of a tiny easel to paint.

James and I had sat in the tables of a cafeteria that was set up in a fancy food truck and had a coffee, keeping an eye on the kids a few feet away from us.

"Your sister said you wanted to talk, that you sounded worried"

"I'm not worried" I dismissed, pushing the crumbs of the cake mindlessly around the plate "I'm just upset"

"About Ressler?" His shoulders squared up and he turned his body to face me, his forearm pushing the cup to the middle of the table as he leaned on it "you know that I could knock some sense into him"

"No thank you" I faked a polite smile.

"Emphasis on 'Knock'" he replied with the same fake polite smile. I blanked my eyes at him and he chuckled "I'm kidding".

I gave Alma a look as he kept talking "come on, what's bothering you?" He beckoned.

I sighed and left the fork in the plate, leaning back on the chair as I crossed my arms.

"It's nothing, it's just Don's work".

"He's always worked where he works... What's different about it now?"

My eyes landed on his, he looked at me like he actually wanted to know what was up.

"He's got this coworker that's going to get him in trouble or hurt and...-" I shrugged, the reasons of my anger suddenly so stupid seeming "I don't know why he's so bent on working there still, I don't know if it's like a loyalty thing or..." I shrugged again, my eyes leaving James to set them on Alma "maybe he has a thing for her"

"He does not" James said confidently, I turned my head to look at him again "it's a known fact that you're the only person Ressler has a thing for in this universe"

"I don't know-" I muttered, my eyes landing on Alma again "if it's not that then there's no explanation as to why he's still in the taskforce even after she tried to kill him"

I realized my mistake too late, James didn't seem to unnerved by my words, he just pulled a confused frown.

"You'll just have to take my word for it, she tried to kill him"