Scott and Tabitha: Monday Meeting

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Tabitha talks to Scott about a surprising new personal development in Afghanistan.



She knew she should have found the time to see the headmaster much sooner, but she was TIRED, dangit.

And still having problems hearing out of her left ear. That last bomb was a little larger than she'd planned.

Regardless, her hearing was fully restored when she knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Come in," called Scott, and raised an eyebrow quizzically at her as she did just that. "Okay," he said, setting aside the paperwork he was doing, "what's with the cryptic email? And what exactly happened in Afghanistan? Beyond more than Garrison apparently thought would..."

Tabitha fell back into the chair. "Nothing bad, just new and weird." She leaned forward with her palms on the desk, eyes bright with excitement. "I blew whole set of bombs without a countdown."

"In Afghanistan, I'm assuming," Scott said with a perfectly straight face.

She leaned back again and nodded, still brimming with barely contained glee. "Just that once, but I think I can do it again."

Scott made a 'go-on' gesture with his hand, eyeing her. She wasn't a kid anymore; he didn't need to sit here and wheedle out of her what it was she wanted to do about this new discovery.

"I need to practice, and someone to watch. I'm not even sure how I did it or how I'm going to repeat it." She ran a nervous hand through her hair. "If someone's there, they might be able to tell me. Or at least keep a fire extinguisher handy." She frowned at him. "I have NO idea who would be good for this."

"I hear tell there's someone around here who may know a little bit about helping energy-projectors train," Scott said, frowning right back at her. "Not quite sure who. Rumor, you know."

"I've heard the same rumor, but I've also heard he's really a very busy person," she countered, trying not to grin. "I've heard it's rather impolite to just impose on someone's time, y'know."

"If said person wasn't able to make a little time to help his most favorite TA ever work on a new trick she just happened to have stumbled across while running around Afghanistan, said person would be a very sad person indeed," was Scott's absent-sounding comment to that. "Although, said person might also be a rather devious person, and point out that there's a very large room in the basement where the aforementioned former TA would be best-advised to practice this trick. Not coincidentally, it's a large room in the basement that said TA really could have been visiting on a regular basis prior to this. Only she seems to prefer the company of her card catalogue." Scott raised a challenging eyebrow.

"Luckily for said recalcitrant TA, there is no more card catalogue. Said TA has run out of excuses." Said TA was blushing like a box of cheap wine, too. "Does this large room have some sort of schedule?"

"Occasional visits are for those doing powers training. Schedules are for those doing powers-training for a reason," Scott said, perfectly innocent. "Would said TA like a schedule?"

Tabitha's lips twitched as she strove to maintain her expression. "You're enjoying yourself, aren't you?" She gave in to the self-depreciating smile. "Yes, I'd like a schedule."

"Oh good. Because this incredibly circuitous conversation is wearing me out," Scott said, then grinned at her. "Come on, don't look like I just talked you into something you don't want to do. It'll be fun. I bet you the only thing that made you stick with the card catalogue for so long was that you were worrying about getting back in shape, right? And trust me, that's not going to be an issue."

"Gee, when you put it like that, it's SO reassuring." She sighed, because he was right. He usually was. "I felt really good over there. It wasn't fun, it wasn't relaxing, but I got to make a little difference. I want to do that again. I miss it."

"Of course you do," Scott murmured, and there wasn't the slightest hint of amusement about his tone this time. "So," he said more briskly, "who would you feel most comfortable working with, for the 'getting back in shape' part? I mean, I want to help you figure out your new powers trick myself, and if we're doing that, we might as well assess just how, uh, rusty you've gotten."

"I've been swimming in the lake most mornings. It's getting a bit too cool for that." She shuddered in memory of that morning. She'd run all the way back to the mansion so she could get into a hot shower. "I'm not sure I should ask Marie at the moment. Things seem to be a bit wonky for her at the moment. Sam's gone back to Kentucky. Who else is up at the crack of dawn?"

"Pretty much anyone," Scott said. "You could work with one of us old folks, or some of the trainees... I'm not doing my usual morning runs lately, but once the knee's back in shape I will be."

"I may just open myself to the humiliation of asking on the journals. It would certainly provide motivation." The thought amused her, actually. Nothing could be quite as bad as her earlier encounter with Cain Marko. "Maybe we'll be up to a full morning run about the same time."

"I may just take you up on that," Scott said, a spark of something close to mischief in his one real eye. "Speaking of asking on the journals... you want to let the team know you'll be back among us, or shall I?"

"You mean I can't just show up?" She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "It would be more official-like if you put your stamp of approval on it." She rubbed her other palm against her pant leg to dispel the sudden nervous sweat. She jumped to her feet. "So, thanks." Her eyes darted around the room, was there something else she needed to say?

"Such an onerous sort of announcement for a certain team leader to make," Scott murmured, again with the Very Straight Face, and made a shooing gesture. "Go, flee. I'll take care of the practicalities. And Tabitha..." He paused, smiling. "It's good to have you back."