Piers/Lorna, Friday

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Lorna packs and is feeling a little blue. A friend helps her get some perspective back.



The suite was so strangely empty. Nothing on the walls, nothing on the shelves. The kitchen was almost terrifying to walk into with its complete lack of anything resembling food or cookware. She'd burst into tears when she'd packed her wok and was currently fighting them back as she lined a box neatly with her books. Lorna was very glad Alex had found someplace else to be while she did this. Better to cry and get over it than pretend a stiff upper lip.

The door was half-open, and Piers blinked at the sounds coming from inside. Sniffling? Why was there sniffling? He knocked tentatively at the door, preparing to make a run for it if necessary. "Lorna?"

Lorna wiped her eyes--crying over Keats was a really stupid thing to be caught doing--and went to answer the door. She smiled when she recognized Piers. "Hi, come on in. It's a little bit of a mess because of the boxes but the couch is still here." That she was leaving at the school. No point in trying to ship it to Hawaii.

"I was here to see the baby," Ian said, his nose twitching. "She's really sweet. Although the telepathy is freaky." His gaze moved swiftly over the room. "So it's that time, I guess?"

"Yeah, she's great. Babies are adorable. Sit," Lorna shoved a box out of the way and waved him toward the sofa. She sighed, "Yeah, we're going to visit my parents first then off to school. I'm terrified." It was the first time she'd said it out loud and tears flooded her eyes again when she did. Christ, did she have to be such a girl?

Crying woman. Oh, crap. Ian shifted a bit uneasily. "You'll, um, do okay?" he offered. "Really. Off to school is a good thing, seriously. Much preferable to getting shot at, or so I'm told..."

She sniffled and blinked back her tears, "Oh, I know. I'm just being stupid. There isn't anything to be scared of but..." she shrugged and grabbed a tissue to dab at her eyes. "Anyway, how have you been?"

"Bored," Ian ventured, then offered her a slightly loopy grin. "I'm going to the Sudan when we get back. To ride herd on Dom. Ani's coming too. I think I'd maybe prefer to go to college."

"Wanna trade?" Lorna offered with a half-smile. "You can do the responsible adult thing and take all my upper division classes and I'll just have crazy adventures and dodge bullets. I'm sure Alex will get used to the switch."

"He's cute," Ian said with a chuckle, relaxing a little, "but I prefer the scenery I'm going to have." He looked regretful, suddenly. "May not be able to do the writing thing very often. Well, not that I'm such a great correspondent anyway. But you know. Sudan, not so much with the internet access."

"You mean I'm not going to get two lines every week or so about the weather and that you're okay? Whatever shall I do?" Lorna said in mock-horror and laughed, "It's okay. I'm not sure I'll be in any state to notice that I'm missing them right away. As I recall the first month of the semester gets eaten up pretty quickly with stuff."

"I wouldn't know. Sounds like it might be fun, though?" Ian looked around again. "Bet it'll be a switch, after living here. Unless you're living in a dorm or something?" He grinned a bit ruefully. "I couldn't cope with living except with a bunch of people, I think."

"I have an apartment. Alex has to live in the dorms technically but in reality..." she shrugged, "I've never lived alone before. And really never alone with a boyfriend. I'm a little nervous." She grinned at him apologetically, "Sorry, I'm totally dumping on you. See what you get for coming in when I'm all emotional and crap?"

"Hey, you sounded like you need to dump on somewhat. Not that I'm much help, mind you." Ian tilted his head, regarding her thoughtfully. "Privacy might be a good thing?" he asked with a bit of a grin. "No kids knocking on the door, or noise at strange times in the morning..."

Lorna nodded, "But bills and what if we fight and we won't know anyone else there and..." She sighed, "I know it's stupid and I should be excited but it just seems like I'm setting myself up to fail here. What if I can't do it?"

Ian blinked. "Uh, talking to the former Spartan here, remember? What-if got beaten out of my vocabulary." He looked at her, frowning. "You really don't think you can? Or is this just nerves? Because nerves are okay, you know. They go away when you get into the situation and realize that yes, you can handle it. Well, usually."

Lorna thought about it, chewing on her lip. "I think it's a little of both. I really don't know if I can and I'm really terrified that I'm going to screw it up. Mostly I think it's that I just don't know what I'm getting into. I don't mind dodging bullets, I've done that. I haven't done this."

"But new is good. Or so the therapists told me. You're just scared of it because it's a brand-new pattern of living and you're not sure how to fit yourself into it," Ian said with all the wisdom of someone who'd listened to the aforementioned therapists for a whole month before making a run for Tunisia.

Lorna made a face at him, "Len says that about stuff. And then I threaten him with my coffee cups. I know that I'm scared because it's new and unknown. But that doesn't make me less scared." She wrapped her arms about her waist, "I thought about staying here. Being an X-man instead of a college student. But...Alex." She smiled fondly, "In the end, I go where he goes."

Ian grinned. "Cute," was his verdict. "Very cute. And if I were like Ani and prone to hugging people randomly, I'd come over and hug you. You're going to be just fine. Both of you."

Lorna laughed, "Lucky for you...or not depending on how you look at it, I am the type to hug randomly." She moved over and indulged in a quick, grateful hug. "Thanks for listening to me freak out. I haven't really been able to tell anyone else about it."

Ian paused, then hugged back a bit tentatively. "You're welcome," he said firmly, after a moment. "Now... can I help you box up anything? Too many planes, and I'm all restless."

Lorna grinned at him with a gleam in her eye. Oh how she loved when victims volunteered. "I was just packing some books if you want to help. Or some of these others need to have their shipping tickets written out."

He'd just let himself in for something, Ian suspected. But then, he really did have quite a bit of nervous energy to burn off. "I take orders very well," he said cheerfully. "Just point me in the right direction."

Lorna pointed accordingly, "I just started on the poetry. The cookbooks are next." It had been said before of Lorna's cookbooks collection that it was taking obsession to new heights. Lorna preferred to think of it as thorough.