BLINDSPOT-REPATA LUV

I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU

A/N: a very short chapter: the following will be somewhat longer

"G'night OA." Maggie Bell smiles at her partner, trying to gauge the reason for his aloofness, now that the shift is over.

"G'night, Mags. See ya in the morning-I promise I won't be late like today." He can't tell if he blushed or not, but there's heat in his cheeks.

After she's gone, he presses 2 on his mobile phone. "Hey...are you on the way? OK...twenty minutes." He's full of anticipation on the short drive to his apartment; he stops for a bottle of middle-of-the-line wine and a twelve-pack of XX Equis Beer (he's actually so 'full of beans' that he jogs the six floors to his apartment. About ten minutes later the reason for his good cheer rings his doorbell. She's beautiful as always, glowing a little from the brisk November wind. The kiss Natasha Zapata shares with him is briefer than usual, and the puzzled look on his face asks its own question.

"Umm-I can't stay, OA. There's a reason why I've been distant lately-I know that you've noticed...I-I...I respect you too much to play games-you KNOW something's been off...there's someone else."

"Right...it's AD READE, isn't it?"

"IT IS...but how...how did you know that?"

"Whispers, you know...this with him is more serious than you and I?"

"I'm sorry. I'm in love with him. And: I wasn't seeing him when we started."

He responds "I believe you. You'd be honest...like now."

"I would. 

TWO NIGHTS AGO IN A MANHATTAN BAR

* WOW...when I said don't follow me I MEANT IT, Reade!*

** In my experience, when someone says that they mean FOLLOW ME **

* Why'd I agree to be Borden's handler? I could have passed him off, and I didn't-WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH ME?! *

** I think you took the job to PROTECT Patterson, look out for her...if she doesn't see that, it's her loss...you still got ME-ALWAYS.*

* This is SO FAR BEYOND FUCKED-UP; even YOU have to admit that! *

** It's going to be FINE, Tash"- **

* Will it? You're marrying Meg, and I'm in love with you *

The two ex-lovers part amicably (OA really does understand, and wishes his now ex-lover well). On the bright side, this opens him up to pursue MAGGIE BELL.

THE SAME TWO NIGHTS AGO

After his initial flash of anger when Zapata admitted that she loved him (she left it very late to be honest, just weeks before the wedding date), after a long talk, lasting until the bar closed, he has to admit that he feels the same-he loves her too. They'll work out how to break the news to Meg; she opts to tell her 'beau' the next time she sees him.