Logs: Lil/Nate then Lil/Catseye

[x-diamondlil.livejournal.com]

Lil goes out for her morning run and finds Nate. The two discuss his retirement.


She'd forgotten how quiet the grounds could be when the kids were in class. Opting to take her run outside instead of in the gym, Lil let herself go where her feet took her; rediscovering old paths and finding new ones through the trees the back around the lake. Fresh air carried on a gentle breeze, it was exactly what she needed to clear her mind of To Do Lists and Madison as she headed past the boathouse.

Nathan was on the dock in one of the lounge chairs, his laptop resting on a small table at the side and a pile of files in his lap. The desk chair had been making him ache, and the weather was so gorgeous that the dock had been preferable to the couch inside. "Hey, Lil," he called idly as she appeared out of the trees.

Looking up as she heard her name, the Canadian heaved a small sigh and changed course. She could be civil; she'd managed as much the night of the movies, minus the popcorn war. "Hi, Nathan," Lil returned with a tight smile once she was a little closer. "How's things?"

She'd been fairly stiff with him last night, too. Nathan just smiled. "They go. Although I'm still picking popcorn out of awkward places..."

"What can I say? I've had lots of years of practice and those kids didn't have a chance. You were just unfortunately enough to get caught in the crossfire."

"Well, I'm not as spry as I used to be." Nathan paused, then decided to risk it. "How is your husband doing?" he said more quietly. "I didn't ask yesterday."

"He's coming home on Monday," Lil replied, forcing herself not to shift her weight from foot to foot as she usually did when tension mounted. "Still a long road in front of him, or well, both of us really, but hopefully it'll be better when he's surrounded by familiar, comfortable things."

"I'm glad to hear he's coming home. Familiar surroundings do help in these situations," Nathan said, then offered a flicker of a smile. "I pick up on these things, being married to a doctor."

She nodded once then chewed on her bottom lip for a fleeting second. Small talk was certainly not one of her strengths. "How is Moira? And Rachel?"

"Both good," Nathan said. "Thrilled to death that I've decided to be more of a homebody, but I can't begrudge them that. Especially Ray. No four year old should have had to visit her father in the hospital that often."

That caused Lil's brow to furrow. "Homebody? You? Fuck, what the hell's happened to this place in the month I've been gone? Amara's drinking, you're... what? Retiring?"

Her words got a laugh and a genuinely warm smile. "Thank you for not saying 'quitting'. But yeah, I'm retiring. Thirty years of blowing shit up is enough, don't you think? Plus, well... my poor much-abused carcass can't really take it anymore. I don't actually want to be wheelchair-bound in ten years, you know."

She climbed the few steps she'd been avoiding and took a seat next to him hesitantly. "Better a wheelchair than a wooden box, but yeah, I understand. Especially with Rachel in the picture." Memories of her own youth spent in hospital rooms visiting a sick parent were quickly squashed. "So, you just gonna run Elpis?"

Nathan nodded. "Moreso than I have been, even," he admitted. "Joel Rollins - you never met him, I don't think, he's the head of our board and in general the public face of the organization - has decided that it's time I took on some of the responsibilities he's been handled." Another lopsided smile. "Apparently that was always the plan."

"Amazing when things actually happen the way they're supposed to," Lil commented dryly, thumbing her wedding band. "Good thing the school's filling up with kids the way we all keep dropping outta the superhero profession."

"I'm not entirely out," Nathan said. "Scott convinced me to stick around and do training work. So I'll get to torment the current leather-wearing types, which has its perks."

"Yeah." She nodded slowly then bit her bottom lip again, her gaze shifting to take in the lake once more. Yes, Lil was happy to be with her husband once again but listening to Nathan discuss his retirement and subsequent plans reminded her of what she was giving up.

"We take our small joys where we can, right?" Nathan asked, no trace of calculation in his voice or expression. "Given how often circumstances conspire against us."

One shoulder lifted and fell casually. "All you can do most times. And even when you get what you want, it's still not what you planned."

"I tell myself that I ought to be grateful," Nathan said. "Retiring to take up a job where I can do a lot of good, and spend more time with my family... and I am, mostly." He shrugged, that lopsided smile returning. "I'm just going to miss the rest of it."

"After doing it for thirty years, I'm not surprised." Lil was beginning to regret stopping on the porch. Should have just kept running, kept losing herself in the exercise. "I should get back to the mansion," she said suddenly, standing up.

"Mmm." Nathan gazed at her as she rose. "It's good to see you, Lil," he said, more softly.

"Yeah. You, too. Good luck with your retirement." Without waiting for his response, the Canadian was off the porch and jogging back to the school, feeling even less confident about her decision than she had when she'd started her run.


Later that day, after classes, Lil and Catseye meet in the garage and once more the topic of the future arises.


Everything appeared to be in working order and for that, Lil was exceptionally grateful. All she'd needed to top off her stress levels was for her bike to have been scratched, dented or flat out destroyed by the hell on wheels that was Jeanne-Marie. Lucky for her - and for the female speedster - Mist was in as perfect a condition as she'd been in when Lil had departed a month ago.

"Momma's sorry, baby," the giantess cooed at the machine, running her hand over the glossy red paint. "Momma's here and she'd gonna bring you with her up to your new home this time when she leaves so that scary lady can't hurt you anymore."

"Mrrt? Is DiamondLil talking to her motorbike?" Catseye inquired, head tilted in confusion as she entered the garage to take out her own bike- still with training wheels attached.

Smiling at the younger mutant, Lil nodded once. "Yeah. Just something silly people do sometimes. Didn't think there was anyone around who was gonna hear me, though," she chuckled then turned, leaning back on the bike to face the purple-haired student. "How you doing, Cats?"

"Catseye is good! How does Lil like being at home in Canada with moose and her special friend?"

Lil laughed again. "It's alright; a lot quietter than this place, that's for sure. Not too many moose around and Madison's still in the hospital but should be coming home in a few days." The platinum-and-gold wedding band tapped against the handle bar as she tried to push down the anxiety the latter brought on. It wasn't time to think about how the couple would adjust to living together once more.

"How come there are not a lot of moose?" the catgirl asked curiously. "Are there lots of BigCats eating them? If Catseye went to visit Lil would there be mooses for Catseye to hunt?"

"Because I live in a city. The deer don't go into New York, right? The moose tend to stay away from us," she explained. "But, tell you what: you come up to visit sometime and I'll take you somewhere you can go hunt moose."

"Catseye would like that." She played with the handles of Lil's bike. "But does that mean DiamondLil is not coming to live at the mansion again? Can't Lil's special friend Madison come to live at the mansion too and then Lil can stay and take Catseye for rides on the motorbike all the time?"

The giantess blew a tuff of blonde hair out of her eyes then scooted a bit to the side to allow Catseye a place leaning against the bike as well if the girl so chose. "No, I'm not coming to live at the mansion again. Madison's still sick and moving him here wouldn't be a good idea." For many reasons. "So, I need to stay in Canada with my husband while he gets better. But there are plenty of other people with bikes here, eh? I'm sure they'll give you rides if you ask."

"Catseye knows that, but Catseye wants Lil and her husband to stay at the mansion because this is where Lil's family is. Mister Beaubier and Mister Garrison and especially Johnny. Lil belongs here with them. So Catseye thinks Lil should come back as soon as her husband is better. Her husband should come too," she suggested hopefully.

"We'll see," Lil offered with a small smile and half shrug. "A lotta things are happening right now back home with Alpha Flight and I can't promise anything to anyone about what's gonna happen in the future. But you're right about my family being here, which is why I'm gonna visit and have people come up and visit me, too. Just cause I ain't gonna be living here doesn't mean I'm gonna let you all forget me."

"When can Catseye come visit?" she asked excitedly. "Catseye wants to hunt moose and Catseye is learning how to speak french!"

"How about Christmas break? You won't have to worry about classes and there'll be lots of snow."

The catgirl frowned. "Isn't Lil going to come spend Christmas at the mansion with everyone?"

Lil shook her head slowly and gave another of her one-shouldered shrugs. "I told you, Cats, I don't know what's going to happen in the future. Especially with Madison still being sick. Hopefully, he'll be well enough to travel then but I don't know."

"Does Lil know how to take training wheels off a bicycle?" Catseye asked, since she wasn't getting anywhere with the topic of Lil coming back to the mansion. "Catseye thinks she is ready to try two wheels."

She blinked once and gave a look around the garage. "Um, yeah. Sure. There's gotta be tools around here that can pop those training wheels off." Lil pushed off the bike then began to search. "Anything else happen while I was gone that's worth talking about while I look? Alien invasions? Time warps?"

"Catseye learned how to snorkel!" she informed Lil proudly. "It is veryveryfun!" She didn't think she should talk about being high on drugs so she left that adventure out. "And Catseye is learning how to speak French. No aliens and no time warps, Catseye does not think."

Lil couldn't help but chuckle at the image of the purple-haired girl snorkeling. Not something she would have expected from a feline-based mutate but Catseye never failed to amaze her. "Glad to hear it's been relatively quiet then. My mother taught me French when I was a kid. You taking it for classes or just because you feel like it?"

"Because Catseye thinks it will be good to learn for reading lots more books!" she told Lil excitedly. "Does Lil know how to snorkel?"

"I've been once or twice," the older mutant said with a nod. "Been awhile since I last tried it but it's a good way to see lots of fish and reefs and stuff, eh?" Lil found the tool she was looking for and motioned to the bike. "You sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes Catseye loves seeing the fishies and trying to catch them!" she giggled. In response to the other question, she shrugged her shoulders. "Catseye has been practicing a lot with four wheels so Catseye thinks she is ready to try two but Catseye is ready to fall some more, yes."

"Yeah, sometimes you gotta be prepared for that." God knew, she wasn't. If only they made helmets for rocky marriages. "Now, how about you flip that bike over and we'll get the wheels off and you out on the road?"