Jim slept in late and woke up feeling refreshed. Paul had been a little fussy around four that morning but a diaper change later, and he was out like a lamp again. James had a nice date with Nikari and was feeling pretty good with himself. He took a quick shower and got dressed, deciding he wanted to go for a run. He hadn't run for quite a while, with the holidays and everything that had happened in the past few weeks. He laced up his running sneakers and PJ was up by then. Jim transfigured his baby carriage into a running stroller and put on his sunglasses.

With PJ tucked into the stroller, bundled up like an Eskimo, James finally locked the door behind him and made his way down onto the street. He was glad for the bit of fresh air and looked around. It was the perfect time for a jog, everyone had commuted, and lunch wasn't for a long while. Jim chose a route and took off in the direction of Gringotts, but he would turn a few blocks away from there and run past a small park, staying as far away from Knockturn Alley was possible.

PJ gurgled in his comfy nest and James turned the top of the stroller around so PJ could see the world around him as Jim ran. His legs were already feeling a little cold, so he ran for a while, then jogged, then walked, then jogged and ran, and repeated until he came to a small tea shop he'd never seen before. He ran in place for a little bit, walked inside with PJ, ordered a cup of hot coffee, and set off back from whence he came.

Mack had just completed a discussion regarding a ministry break-in with another criminal mind who was willing to assist him.  He departed from the building is his usual stormy mood, unsure of his comrade - and the success of the mission.  He wanted to go home and relax for a bit before he had to leave to buy sustenance so he could have lunch. 

Sunglasses covered his eyes and a wide-brimmed hat covered his head due to the light and in precaution; in case that he was seen by a law enforcement officer.  At least his face would be difficult to make out if someone knew he was wanted.  Despite that he found it difficult to see, he reminded himself that it would be better to be safe than sorry. 

Mack left Knockturn Alley, and began to head home.  After a while spent walking,  he spotted who he thought was an Auror at least 10 meters away, and carefully watched her through reflective shades.  He expected her to be paying attention to something else.  What he didn't expect was to collide with a familiar man departing from a small store.  "Oi!  Watch where you're going, bloody idiot!"  he exclaimed, his head reeling.       

Jim was just about to pick up the pace to a jog when a man came out from behind a wall and Jim rammed into him with the stroller. James almost had a heart attack as the man grabbed his rear end and started yelling and PJ started to whimper. "You watch where you're going, jackass!" Jim shouted, running around the stroller to the front, where Paul frowned and spit out his pacifier.

James picked up his baby and looked at the jerk that he hit. "Oh my god Mack, take off that stupid hat." Jim patted PJ's back and rocked the uncomfortable infant. "You almost made me go into cardiac arrest you nut." Paul whimpered and James shushed him and rubbed his back. "What the hell were you doing behind a wall?" Jim hissed at his Hogwarts friend.

Mack sighed, getting up from the ground.  "Get the hell out of my w-"  He stopped, unsure that he bumped into who he thought he did.  He stood up to confirm what he saw, removing his glasses briefly.  "Hey, Jim," he greeted Lotusorder curtly, as if they were passing in the street, rather than falling over each other.  "What's up with the stroller?"  He asked, leaning over to see a baby in it. 

Mack removed his hat, as James told him to, and rubbed the spot where he hit the ground.  He was positive it would bruise later.  "You almost made me make you go into cardiac arrest, git,"  he retorted, almost jokingly.  "I was just leaving Knockturn Alley.  We have an interesting excursion ahead of us," he answered.  "Why am I answering your questions?  You're the one who should be answering mine."  Mack wanted to know why James was pushing an infant around in a stroller.

 

James laughed, it was good to see Mack again. He was the exact opposite of the soft, mushy adorableness he'd have to go through with Paul the past few days. "I'm a dad now, don'tcha know?" Jim said in a cliché Irish accent. "Paul would be more than eager to meet you, but you kind of bumped into his parade float." Jim heard PJ coo, and he placed him back in the stroller. "PJ say 'hi' to Daddy's friend Mack!" Paul gurgled and giggled and smiled at the criminal.

"See, not everyone hates you." James joked, giving Mack an affectionate shove. "How've you been doin'? I haven't seen you since you kicked me down a flight of stairs while I was in a drunken and depressed stuppor."

Mack's eyes widened at James's revelation.  "Great job, Apocalypse Lotusorder.  I swear, the end of the world'll be at your hands, because your offspring will override the human population before long," he replied spitefully, humor at the edge of his voice.  "I thought you broke up with that thing, but I guess I assumed wrong.  I suppose assumption makes an 'ass' out of 'U' and 'me'," he went on, probably confusing Jim with his ill-humored joke.

"PJ?  You've got to think of something better than that.  His name's gotta be Parrish James or something stupid like that, yeah?"  He considered for another moment, before saying, "Everyone hates me, your kid just doesn't know how to say it yet."  Mack took the push as jokingly, and stopped himself from objecting to it. 

"I've been doing decent.  I just made an interesting agreement, like, Ministry off Magic shit," Mackenzie explained quickly.  "And, I found that very amusing.  Mark wanted me to help you by being mean, so I booted you down the stairs."     

     

"He'll be a little stud, that's for sure, unless Mark starts feeding him carrots and turns him into a rabbit, then everyone is hopeless." Jim laughed, then stopped as Mack indirectly brought up Tina. "We did break up, Paul John isn't her's, he's mine and someone I can't remember." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "And his name isn't stupid, it's better than Mackenzie." James said, looking at his watch.

Jim looked at Mackenzie with a stone look on his face. "Since when do you work for the Ministry? You're not in a monkey suit slathering on "yes m'ams" and "no sirs" are you? Because I would find that hilarious." Jim's face split into a massive smile and he started laughing hysterically. "And-and my ass still hurts from falling down to the lobby" James leaned over his knees, wheezing, no longer to make any sound because he was laughing too damn hard.