xp_logs | (no subject) (Reply)

During an ordinary day's work for Nathan and Angelo, Rachel is Not Pleased by some of the things she's picking up, and makes her unhappiness felt - but a solution is quickly found, at least temporarily.

He'd been trying to pretend everything was fine since the conversation by the gravestone, though he and Nathan both knew it was just being suppressed. But, the pretence had to be kept, so Angelo was sitting at his desk going through the beginning of the day's work.

There was a fitful cry from the nursery, and Nathan frowned, looking around from his computer and then getting up. "So much for the afternoon nap," he said, vanishing into the nursery briefly and reemerging with a woeful-looking Rachel who grasped at his shirt and mumbled sad-sounding gibberish.

Angelo leaned back in his chair, abandoning the papers in his hand temporarily, to frown at the baby in concern. "What's up, Ray?"

"Mmmbah ga-ma-bah," was the response as Rachel buried her face in her father's shoulders, sniffling loudly.

Nathan went over and sat back down at his desk, rubbing her back. "I suppose she had most of a nap," he said, grimacing a bit. Moira would have his head for going and picking her up when she cried, but she was clearly not happy about something.

"How long'd she manage to sleep this time?" Angelo asked, putting down the papers to get up and wander closer.

"About an hour and a half. Not quite as much as she should." Nathan twitched as Rachel abruptly wailed and the loose objects on his desk rattled for a moment. "Hey," he said soothingly, rubbing her back again. "No tantrums, munchkin."

Huge tear-filled gray eyes peered up at Angelo for a moment as he approached. "Maaaaah."

He reached out to ruffle her hair when he got close enough, offering a reassuring smile. "Hey there."

"Here," Nathan said, handing her over. She adored Angelo, and occasionally it was better if someone other than him held her when she was in a mood like this. The link tended to make things echo.

He was happy enough to take her, settling her against his shirt. "Theeere. Any better now, munchkin?"

Rachel whimpered and clutched at his shirt, and Nathan frowned again, more worriedly this time as he reached out to shield her mind. "I wish she didn't pick up on-" He stopped, blinking up at Angelo as he realized what she was probably picking up on.

He was trying to soothe the little girl, stroking her hair, but blinked back at Nathan when he cut himself off. "...oh." A look down at the baby. "Guess maybe I should give her back, huh." But he didn't want to.

"Just... think happy thoughts," Nathan said after a moment, more quietly, and concentrated on doing that himself. He brought back to mind Rachel's introduction to the outdoor pool, her the center of attention, him and Angelo both enjoying themselves rather than silently stressing at each other.

That was the first one that came to mind for Angelo, too, and he projected it as best he could - a little clumsily, but the clearest a non-psi could - at the baby.

"Oooo?" was Rachel's reply to that. She blinked up at Angelo, then around at her father - then giggled softly, relaxing against Angelo, her mood shifting in an instant.

He smiled down at her, relieved. "Guess we did figure out what was botherin' you, then", with an apologetic glance at Nathan.

"It's inevitable, I guess," Nathan said, keeping his worries about Rachel and all that she was liable to pick up on as she grew carefully suppressed at a level she wouldn't pick up on. "I suppose the only thing we really can do is stop and take a step back when we realize that's happening."

"Might get better when she's a bit older", Angelo said helplessly, as Rachel snuggled happily against him. "Least then she'll understand what's happenin' a bit better."

"Yeah. I imagine she will. I think she probably understands a little more than we give her credit for already," Nathan said, reaching out and giving a dangling baby foot a tweak. Rachel giggled again.

"Hope so. An' hey, she's easy to distract for right now." He grinned down at her, reaching up to tickle her stomach.

"Heeheee!"

The huge smile on his daughter's face made Nathan relax the rest of the way. Problem solved, quite obviously. "We should let her crawl around out here - no secretary to traumatize yet."

"She'd like that", Angelo agreed. "If she's not gonna be goin' back to sleep yet, which I don't think she is."

Rachel promptly blew a raspberry at the s-word. "I'll take that as a no," Nathan said with a soft snort. "Set her down and see what she does."

Angelo obeyed, putting her on Nathan's desk as the nearest flat surface. She immediately pushed herself up to sit and look at them, still with that big grin.

"... that's disturbing," Nathan said when the grinning continued. "You manipulative little brat, you."

"Heeheehee!"

"What're you after?" Angelo asked her, thoroughly amused. "Or just playin' queen of the castle?"

Rachel promptly grabbed a stray pen and stuck it in her mouth, gumming thoughtfully. Nathan shook his head. "Let's go back to work," he said wryly, "and let her amuse herself."

Angelo grinned, ruffling her hair one last time as he headed back to his desk. "Sounds like a plan."