The Blacklister's Secret

10: The Ducks

"You know that's illegal, right?"

Emma jumps, and turns to face a frowning Donald Ressler.

"No it isn't." She answers, settling down beside the tree.

"Then why do you see nobody else doing it?" He asks her, crossing his arms.

"Because nobody likes the ducks." Emma answers. "Nobody makes time for them anymore."

As if supporting her arguement, a duck begins to honk and charges at Ressler, who stumbles backwards.

"Donald no!" Emma laughs, scooping the duck up in her arms. The duck is still trying to peck at Ressler.

"Donald?" He asks, raising an eyebrow as he straightens himself.

"He's kind of an asshole." Emma shrugs, setting the duck back down. "Go on. He's not an enemy. Not yet, at least."

She has a stare off with the Mallard.

"Go on, Donald." She says sharply, and he returns to the pond, angrily quacking at the agent.

"Oh, so you named a mean duck after me? Gee thanks, Reddington." He rolls his eyes.

"If the shoe fits." She shrugs. "So are you just going to stand there and make fun of me? Or do you want to feed them?" She asks, offering him her bag of bread.

There's a very long moment before Ressler sighs and sits next to her.

"Is there one named after everyone?" He asks her, raising an eyebrow.

"Almost. That big one over there is Harry. You would think he's in charge but really he just tries his best." Emm tells him.

"That one's Aram." Emma says, pointing to a duck that's covering his face with his wings. "He does that all the time, and hes sort of nervous compared to the rest of them."

Ressler makes a harrumphs sound, and Emma glances over at him.

"I'm sorry." Emma says after a while.

The man looks over at her.

"I may not be your biggest fan, Agent Ressler, but I didn't mean for you to get shot."

"It happens. It's all a part of the job." He shrugs after a while.

They return to their not quite comfortable silence.

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"I didn't mean for you to get shot either." He says, his face set into a hard stare.

Emma sighs and nods, reaching over and patting his leg. "It happens. It's all a part of the job."

"Are you coming back on Monday?" He asks. "I heard Director Cooper mentioning it."

"Yeah." She nods, tossing some bread into the water.

"You know there's going to be people asking questions, right?"

"Yeah." She answers.

"And they're gonna want to know what happened in that box."

"Yeah."

"Do you know what you're going to tell them?" He asks.

"I'll tell them what they want to know." She shrugs. "There's no use in lying."

"Even about Reddington?" He is arching an eyebrow when he glances at her.

There's a very long pause before she answers.

"Yes." She nods tersely.

"Mm." He nods.

They return to silence, disregarding the noises of the ducks that are doing duck things around them.

"I almost didnt recognize you." Donald informs her. "With the hair."

"Oh... yeah." She answers.

"You look like your dad." He notes.

Emma frowns. "Yeah... I've always looked like him." She keeps a wary eye on Donald the duck, who still seems angry at his human counterpart for intruding on his time with Emma.

"Well, I should probably get going." He  nods.

"Here, let me help you up." Emma says, gently shoving the duck from her lap and dusting her hands off on her jeans.

"You shouldn't be straining yourself." He shakes his head, planting his cane in the ground.

"Have you not realised that I'm stubborn?" Emma answers, grabbing a hold of his hand.

He sighs as she helps him off the grass.