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[x-mactaggart.livejournal.com]

Moira and Amanda end one of their training sessions and then take a baby break. Amanda asks Moira a question about a special kind of gift for Rachel.



Sometimes Amanda wondered about where Moira got her mutant power training ideas from. That and the supply of mystic objects she needed, since every so often there were still slips. Moira was ending up with an impressive collection of paperweights, especially from the early days. The doctor had dryly remarked about having the shiny object market cornered at one stage.

Today was a version of hide and seek - Moira had stashed a number of very minutely-charged charms about the room, and they were testing Amanda's range by having her find them. Given the lack of conventional equipment that could actually measure mystic energy levels, it was an interesting solution to the problem. And actually sort of fun. The other part of the test was to detect and find - but not absorb. Not especially difficult with her fully-charged and the objects not really registering that much.

With a grin, Amanda pulled one last charm from out of the coffee mug Moira used as a pen holder, and added it to the pile on Moira's desk. "There," she said. "That's it. I think."

Grinning a bit, Moira counted the charms quickly, pushing them around with her fingers. "Aye, tha's all o' them. Verra good, dinnae take 'alf as long as ye thought it would when we started, did it?" Winking, she scooped them back up gently and put them back in the box they had come from.

A quick glance around her office reminded her that she was starting to become a regular place at the small magic shop that Dr. Strange had pointed out to her in one of their discussions about Amanda's training. Amused, if nothing more, she shook her head. "Th' sessions are comin' alon' nicely an' there's been progress, tha's for sure."

Amanda grinned, not voicing the usual complaint about there not being enough progress, at least as far as the addiction went. She'd been verbally thwapped for being negative once too often. "'S actually sort of fun," she admitted, taking her seat again and tucking one foot underneath her. "An' it's gettin' easier, least the detectin' stuff goes. Helps that there's not a lot of background stuff - I wouldn't have even noticed this stuff before Cain started blocking me."

"Good." That's what she liked to hear, that she was enjoying it and actually finding it useful. For some mutants, their powers were very straightforward. To a degree because having to learn to, say, fly when you're fourteen can be very complicated. But others were forced to keep training on their powers for a good many years--possibly their entire lives. Amanda and the most current resident of Muir were proof of that. "Anythin' ye'd like ta do next time, in particular? Or jus' let me pick again?"

"Well..." Amanda began, suddenly a little shy. "I was thinkin', 'bout the stuff we use, an' mystic objects in general, and I realised, the power's got t' come from somewhere, right? Some materials have a natural charge, but it's not very much at all, an' if you want it t' be useful, you have t' concentrate it, like with the Orb of Forts. An' then I was thinkin' 'bout the wych C--" She stumbled over the name, and closed her eyes for a moment, collecting herself. "The wych Charlie gave me," she continued, looking at Moira steadily. "People used t' use 'em as conductors, I s'pose you'd call it. Or batteries - you could store energy in them for spells later. So what if I could use what I do t' charge things? Take the power from a place, an' put it into something for later? It'd give me a way of keepin' power for emergencies, instead of usin' everythin' I've got. 'Specially once I get around t' losin' Rom's charm."

Leaning back in her chair, hand tucked under her chin, Moira thought about it. Running over the variables in her mind faster than some people thought about how to put a meal together. "Tha's a verra interestin' idea, Amanda. Conductin' yer power out like tha'. I could get a couple o' "dead" pieces for ye ta try, tha's easy." Looking over, she beamed at her suddenly. "Verra brilliant idea."

The girl beamed, pleased at the praise. "Well, at the least I could try an' get rid of some of yer paperweights there," she said, nodding at a lump of crystal that had been an early casualty of Amanda's lack of an 'off' switch. "An' even if I never get around t' blockin' big power sources, if I could channel some of the charge away into somethin' else, it's better than havin' t' burn it off doing spells. 'Specially when I've got everyone tellin' me magic shouldn't be used for personal stuff." A flicker of a frown at that, clearing as she moved onto different topics. "How's the munchkin?"

Catching it, Moira filed it away for future reference. Right now, it would only cause conflict and the last thing she wanted was conflict during the training sessions when Amanda was coming along so well. "I've grown rather fond o' them," she responded with a soft laugh. "But 'tis best we start wit' these an' I'll find others for ye ta work
on as well."

Her features lit up at the mention of Rachel. "She's doin' well, ye want ta come in an' see her?" They'd fixed up the adjoining office to be a part time nursery for when Nathan couldn't watch her and Moira needed to be working. Small but cozy and warm and Ray seemed to enjoy it.

"I'll leave you a couple if you like 'em that much," Amanda teased. "An' hey, recycling. Go us." At Moira's suggestion, she nodded. "Yeah, if I won't bother her none." The way her face softened belied the tone of her words - Amanda was just as captured by the newest resident as the rest, and she followed Moira into the nursery almost eagerly.

"Trust me, yer th' last person ta bother me wee darlin'." Bending over slightly, she peered into the crib with nearly a sense of wonder. "I dinnae get this wit' Kevin," Moira suddenly remarked, softly, watching Rachel sleep for now. "We 'ad a few moments o' normalcy but for th' most part...well..."

Rachel suddenly cracked open an eye, recognizing the feel of the minds near her. "...ooo?" she cooed, half-asleep and yawned.

"'ello, sweetie, come out an' say 'ello." Reaching down, Moira picked up the baby and held her close as Rachel wiggled a bit, bonking her solidly on arm as she settled down.

"Funny how life gives us second chances," Amanda replied, just as softly, her __expression unreadable for a moment before she broke into a smile at Rachel's cooing. "Hey there, blossom," she said, sitting down next to Moira and reaching over to stroke the back of Rachel's hand with her fingertip. "Keepin' out of trouble, are you?"

"Mneh!" Rachel screwed up her nose slightly.

Laughing, Moira rocked her gently. "Life's full o' surprises," she responded before smiling down at her daughter. "An' o' course she isnae. Keeps us up at night, she does. Likes ta be 'eld a lot. Accordin' ta me Da, I was like tha' as a wee one, so I'm nay surprised. I'm sure he'd be bustin' at th' seems if he was alive." Tilting her head, she gazed up at Amanda. "Want ta 'old her?"

"She's a beauty an' make no mistake," Amanda agreed, before making a noise rather like 'gleep' at the offer. She'd held Rachel once before when she was with Domino, but there hadn't been a lot of time to think before she'd had arms full of baby. "Um, I'd like, that is, if it's all right an' you don't think I'll drop her or turn her green or somethin'."

"Well, unless yer leakin' spells out o' yer pores, I 'ighly doubt she'd turn green. Even if she did, it'd be kind o' funny. Give her Da a nice 'eart attack." Rachel let out a gleeful squeal at that prospect. "I trust ye ta nay drop 'er. Besides, ye've tha' handy dandy telekinetic spell, aye?" Winking, she shifted and held out the precious bundle

"It's a bit... unreliable these days," Amanda said, before being distracted entirely by the action of scooping Rachel into her arms, remembering to support her head carefully. "Oh, you're a heartbreaker, all right," she murmured to the baby. "An' you've got a bit of the devil about you, don't you? Well, that's good - don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Need that spark t' remind people you're not t' be hassled, yeah?" Realising she was probably indoctrinating Rachel into the ranks of troublemakers everywhere, she glanced up at Moira and grinned a little. "'Cept yer mum and dad, that is. Listen t' them, they're smart people. Smarter 'n me, that's for sure."

"Sometimes," Moira remarked dryly, leaning back on the couch with a happy sigh. "She's goin' ta be a right terror--God knows I was. An' still can be. Between me genes an' Nathan's...run fer cover." Reaching over, she gently ran a finger down Ray's chubby cheeks, hearing the tiny squeaks and grunts that went straight to her heart.

"Goin' ta grow up verra loved in this mansion."

"Good thing you've got plenty of people willin' t' sit for you then, isn't it?" Amanda chuckled, shifting Rachel a little more comfortably as she relaxed a bit. There had been no wailing or wriggling or wild flailing as she'd taken her, so that was good. "I'll try not t' teach her any more bad habits than she'll already have from you two." She winked at Moira and looked down at Rachel again. "Gunna be spoilt rotten, aren't you? In a good way, of course. An' me an' Auntie Dom'll make sure you stay out of trouble." The words reminded her of what she'd talked about with Dom. "Oh, I was thinkin'... I wanted t' get her somethin', one of those protection bracelets, like the one I got Meg? There's a bloke in Ireland who does 'em in adjustable sizes, so it can grow with her," she offered almost diffidently, not sure if the offer would be welcome.

Blinking in surprise, she'd never thought about something like that, she reached over and pushed aside a stray piece of hair on Amanda, mothering both of the girls at the same time. "I'd like tha'," Moira responded, her voice telling how touched she was by the request. "I dinnae see why Nathan would object but I'd ask him. I think he'd be tickled." A paused. "Those thin's 'ave come in handy since ye'ved handed them out, aye?"

"Dom said hers saved her life last year," Amanda replied, still in that diffident tone, but the faintest trace of pride entering her voice. Something she'd done had helped. "Nate's got slagged at Columbia, but he said it did warn him. An' Beth..." Another of those pauses, and Amanda bent over Rachel for a moment, concentrating on the small scrap of humanity in her arms. It still hurt, thinking about Bethany, and the pain was now laced with the bitterness of losing Pete and Charlie too. "Beth's saved both of us last Halloween - hers was the sort I was thinkin' of. It's stronger, tends t' focus on magical threats, but given the tendency for demons an' the like t' show up, it can't hurt. An' she's got you an' Nate t' watch over her for the other stuff. It'd be an early warnin' system, tho'." She had no idea if the one she'd given Pete had been helpful, or even if he still had it, and she stomped on the part of her that hoped he did.

Moira gazed at the girls—one attempting to not push the issue of something she thought was important and the other just currently attempting how to use her limbs. It made her smile. “I’d be more than ‘appy ta ‘ave her ‘ave one,” she said after a minute. “In fact, if ye could make it three…” She grinned at Amanda’s __expression. “Well, Nathan’s was slagged an’ I could certainly stand ta use one. Because o’ yer efforts, people ‘ave been saved, Amanda.”

The blush rose then, hot and sudden, but Amanda didn't duck her head this time. Instead she nodded, and a small, proud smile crossed her face. "Three it is, then," she said, unable to surpress a brief note of triumph entering her voice. Take that, stodgy old magic tutor. And imagine what she could do unfettered by the addiction... Rachel squirmed in her arms, and she grinned, juggling her a little. "Well, here's hopin' you never need 'em, but at least they'll be there, just in case."
“Nathan still holds th’ record for MedLab visits,” she said dryly, “an’ I’ve run inta me fair share o’ problems. Th’ more protection for me family I can get, th’ ‘appier I’ll be. An’ we know it works.” She flashed her a smile. “Now, if we can only fit Nathan inta a bubble…”